Here's a guest blog from my very talented friend Julie Bergman Sender:
Somewhere in America, the morning paper lands on a doorstep….
Drive time radio slides through the day’s headlines…Pundits and Politicians –are pasted across cable talk shows and news magazines like a collage telling the American People what they are supposed to make of the war in Iraq…
But do we really know what is happening there?
As Citizen Hunter states in its mission, we are conditioned to believe that "we have to write like Shakespeare, speak like Martin Luther King Jr., and have the courage of a lion" to be deemed qualified to stand up for what is right. That one voice cannot accomplish anything.
But what is perhaps more true is that one voice can be the beginning of collective action. One voice can open peoples' eyes and help be a guide to educate, inspire and create opportunity.
I created Show Us the War as a reaction to what I felt was the severe lack of information and analysis of the war in Iraq (and now beyond) and my trust in the American People that they would be drawn in and willing to proactively seek information if given the opportunity. There are so many voices we are not hearing from in relation to the war in Iraq: Unembedded journalists, filmmakers, citizen journalists, soldiers, National Security experts and just regular bystanders. What if there could be a central place that attempted to aggregate this material and offer multiple perspectives and accounts from those who are living and dying in the midst of these events?
Show Us the War is working to become that place.
We are not a place for propaganda. We are a refuge from that and our intention is to create a centralized place for information, first-hand accounts and multiple perspectives to give Americans the opportunity to more fully inform themselves. I trust that an informed Citizenry is a wiser one. And I trust that with the help of ordinary citizens, this site can thrive and grow.
I leave you with this… Show Us the War is one person's reaction to the lack of nuanced coverage of the war in Iraq. In this age of technology it is possible to reach thousands, even millions, of people when you reach out to fill a void.
This to me is the spirit and purpose of Citizen Hunter and I hope you will visit us.
Nice web site Julie. I particularly like the cost of the war counter. It makes me sick when I see the money we're throwing away.
What bothers me the most is the fact that there wasn't any serious debate prior to this war. The fact that Bush, Cheney, et. al. cooked the books on the intelligence is probably the major factor in the lack of debate.
Keep up the good work.
Posted by: Steve at July 28, 2006 03:50 PMFlavia,
Thanks for posting stuff like this. I agree with Julie. I just visited her web site. It does demonstrate the purpose and spirit of Citizen Hunter.
Posted by: Harold at July 28, 2006 04:40 PMI really thought that I would avoid discussions about the situation in the War on Terror, but I have to weigh in on this.
First off, I appreciate (please read this again) I APPRECIATE the idea that folks want a genuine view of the war in Ieaq as well as other things as they apply to our nightly news.....
So, having said that, I really feel that for the most part, when people go to a blog, they pretty much go to a blog that is in line with their previously determined view.
It is worth stating that I am a member of the military and have been so for 20+ years.
When I read the title of the above mentioned blog I was pretty excited. After looking at the featured stories, I quickly figured out that it was pretty one sided.
Perhaps it is the medium. Maybe most bloggers are anti- Bush and therefore unable to listen to any view that might put a positive spin on him. I truly don't know.
It is just not that simple........
What I do know is that there are a few of us who truly believe in kicking the enemies ass.
I have seen these poor victimized Iraqi's use their children as shields. I have seen the torture and killing they impose on those who don't share their views.
Perhaps the most amazing thing to me is that most of the women who sign into the view that the military and administration are wrong, would absolutely lose their minds if they saw how a woman in Iraq or Afghanistan leads their life.
As a combatant my view is skewered like anyone else's, however I think maybe it should be noted that there are folks who believe in their mission in the war on terror.
There are good folks who stick their neck out on a regular basis and don't come home and regret it or feel like they were abused.
There are alos those who believe in what they are doing and never get to come home.
They died doing their CHOSEN duty.
This is no small thing.
It isn't represented by a number on a screen in a starbucks near a college.
It is a human being who truly believes in what they were doing when they died.
It isn't a pop culture phenominon.
It was a good person with a family.
Perhaps they didn't share your views.
Perhaps they were not at liberty to put info into your blog.
Try to hear what cries out from their sacrafice.
I believe that We who serve are fortunate to be in the mix.
Not just talking about it.
remeber those with no liberty to speak in detail about the reality, not the conjecture................
Posted by: evolo at July 30, 2006 08:35 PMsorry, as a troop, my spelling takes second place to my passion!!
please forgive me!
Show Us the War is a worthy project, but it is conspicuously lacking in Iraqi voices, which in the end certainly matter at least as much as the Western journos with their fancy video cameras and satellite phones.
I try to link to Iraqi bloggers at Kiko's House, my own blog, whenever I can because they provide the most unvarnished perspective on the ongoing nightmare. I would respectfully suggest that Show Us the War do the same.
Posted by: Shaun at July 31, 2006 07:20 AMWell, the more voices and views the better. There may not be such an animal as "the perfect site". Kiko's House is a very good site too. If there is something lacking out there that a person might be interested in, then that may be a good time to step out on a limb and provide it. It doesn't have to be "the perfect site", but your contribution. I would bet that you might find that there are others that were looking for that information too. It's kind of like a pot-luck, where everyone brings a dish. One dish alone might not make a meal, but taken all together is a feast. Thats how community works.
Posted by: joe at July 31, 2006 10:51 AMVery interesting conversation. Thank you evolvo for your service and I respect your point of view. You mentioned you had decided not to comment on such things, but I hope you reconsider, as your comments are very helpful to the conversation. Great pt. Shaun and I will check out your site. I went to Show US the War and thought it was a valuable addition as Joe talks about to a larger pool of lots of other resources. I do wish they would keep it more current though.
Posted by: Julie at July 31, 2006 12:04 PMHi Julie:
Thank you for your kind words, but a clarification is in order: Kiko's House claims no provenance when it comes to Iraqi bloggers, although I try to link to them frequently. I do include a dozen or so of them in my blog roll, however, and am constantly on the prowl for more. Among the best blogs are Baghdad Burning, Iraq the Model, Thoughts From Bagdad and Treasure of Baghdad. There is a person-to-person connection that can be quite extraordinary, and when these bloggers don't post for a few days -- which is sometimes the case -- I find myself worrying as I would worry about a dear friend who has fallen out of touch.
Posted by: Shaun at July 31, 2006 03:20 PMThanks Julie and once again, I agree with you Joe. The more voices the better.
It seems to me that there needs to be some conversation regarding the war in Iraq based on something other than the political issues at hand.
Perhaps I am not seeing things clearly, but when there are horrible losses of life or when things fall through in the newly formed Iraqi government, there are lots of people who jump for some sick joy because they dislike the present administration.
Conversely, when there are success, like the killing of Zarqawi, folks at the "daily Kos" convention can't even stand to listen to the news being delivered by a Democratic Presidential contender, the just sat and stared as though he was a Bush aid. It seems they are loyal only to their agenda. Something they accuse the present administration of being.
So, to me, the whole idea of the war being played out on the political battlefield, which is full of fluff and something other than substance, is sickening.
The truth of the matter is that nobody involved in the nitty gritty business of seeing and dealing with the shadowy bad guys in Iraq on an everyday/night basis are going to be at liberty to blog about it in detail.
Perhaps that is why I am frustrated with the entire discussion.
It is important to note that nobody is hiding anything, it just has to be that way.
I want people to know that there are folks out there hanging it out to get the bad guys. They are real. They do bad things there and they try to do bad things here.
In my heart, I truly believe we need to stop them by whatever means necessary, or they will hurt more innocent people, in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Kenya, in Indonesia, and in the USA.
"Business is Good."
Colonel ****** remarked when asked about these wars and rumors of wars. So easy to fall into that mode, after all it is a business and we are good at conducting these transactions. And so is Israel and the rest of the region. Its a growth industry, and unfortunately morality is no longer an issue, the water is so muddied by tit-for-tats.
Somethings gotta give to change this business mentality, and fighting in perpetuity is not the answer, now more than ever, we need a break-from Israel, Hizbollah, insurgents, and guerillas, and a superpower trying to make it just another day at the office.
Evolo I am so glad that people are still seeing these conflicts in moral terms like Julie and yourself. We have to continue to put a face on these wars, whether it is the Iraqi children used as sheilds or the Lebanese children caught on the receiving end of a air to surface missle fired from miles and miles away. Somehow, we must realize that 'us and them", the longer this draws on, becomes less and less distinguishable. We can't let that happen, if at least for the children's sake.
Posted by: joe at July 31, 2006 07:33 PMyes, you syncronize my thoughts better than I can.
"moral terms" is perfect.
thanks
yes, you synchronize my thoughts better than I can.
"moral terms" is perfect.
thanks
Thank you. My feeling on this is that I think, as a country, we are beginning to find our way on this. What I mean by this is that we are starting to use the same terms when describing what is going on. And when people begin to agree on terms, then the dialogue opens up and people are more comfortable looking at things from a different perspective. And this seems to be happening on both sides. I think, when this is all said and done, that we will remember this time as a very fractious period. But we will make it through. We are just regaining our composure as a country right now. It is a tough and difficult process, but in the end,the troops will have fought valiantly, and they will return home triumphant and respected. We just need to make sure they are taken care of like they deserve. Our foreign policy is a different matter, but I hope we learn from our mistakes and successes. I am confident we will -we are too good of a team to have it any other way.
Posted by: joe at August 1, 2006 08:55 AMWhat a great conversation. I am learning so much, thank you. I am biased obviously since she is my daughter, but I am always so inspired by her words and passion and her constant search for truth and goodness in others. The folks she attracts to the site and her projects in general really blow me away. You guys are so thoughtful, smart, passioante and show such a deep interest in your fellow man and country. It gives me great hope as an old guy. Flav, I hope you don't mind me saying, but I learn just as much from the comment area as I do the front page.
Posted by: Kevin at August 1, 2006 11:29 AMSo many blogs, so many websites and so many opinions! So much has been written about the wars, neocons and their agenda, the right wing nuts and their insane desire to perpetuate fascism/intolerance in this Country.
Yet, the voter turnout ensures the continuance of such UNAmerican policies and agenda. More people who do not vote, lean Democrat. You get what you pay for. The person in office is the one who got more votes. Pretty darn simple and pretty darn frustrating!
If the voters don't change things these year and/or in '08, all these blogs and websites will end up as "much ado about nothing"!
Don't just raise a voice, go vote for crying out loud!!!
Posted by: Mel at August 1, 2006 02:46 PMThank goodness for evolo.
Posted by: christiand at August 2, 2006 09:07 PMThat is definitely seconded. S/F
Posted by: joe at August 2, 2006 10:37 PMI will be added to the evolvo fan club! If you knew him, which I am belssed to, you would be even bigger fans. Thank you evovlo for your service. While I am at it, thanks to Joe, Carl, and Michael who posted as well S/F. It's nice to see Marines show such love to another branch:) Just kidding guys.
Posted by: Flavia at August 3, 2006 12:19 PMit is cool to be thought of nicely by folks who are genuine and truly invested in making things better.
when you have that in common, not much else matters.
thanks
Posted by: evolo at August 3, 2006 03:57 PM