The failure of the media, In two ways. Options

[*CrackedRearView*]

DISCLAIMER: This is not for the faint at heart.

1) The only thing I ever see on this forum, aside from a select few's educated reasoning when it comes to opposing U.S. occupancy in Iraq, is mindless, CAPS LOCK laden, unsubstantiated prattle saying 'BUSH IS AN IDIOT, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG IN IRAQ! AFGHANISTAN WAS THE PROBLEM!'.

Let me do the job the media failed so miserably at.

If there was any doubt of the problems in Iraq -- let that doubt be put to rest.

2) I was watching the news tonight, and I got, for lack of better terminology, extremely pissed off.

'Another car bomb exploded today killing several soldiers.'

'Another car bomb'. As if it's standard protocol; as if the wives and children bereaved of the victims of 'just another car bomb' don't matter. Just another number to tack onto the list.

Thanks for serving in the Army, son. What was your name, again?

I'm sorry, but I just can't handle that. As much as I support this war.

So, to make this less of a rant and more of a debate: why do you think the media focuses so intensely on the lack of problems in Iraq, when there are so many?

Is it acceptable that the media showed only what little was wrong in Iraq? Is it acceptable that because we've been there for two years, we can just shrug off another car bomb?

[sadolakced acid]

^ it's not our war (to half the americans). there were no weapons of mass descruction.

it's perfecally fine to take out a ruthless dicator. but not to lie to the american public (if it was a lie, which i think at least a twist of the truth was employed) that it's because they have weapons of mass destruction.

just tell us, he's a ruthless dictator. we're going to depose him.

and DON'T say it won't cost much, because we can sell thier oil to help pay for the cost of reconstruction.

that being said, half of america doesn't thinks every death is bush's fault.

bush knows it too. returning coffins aren't allowed to be photographed. bush hasn't attended the funeral of any soilders- if he were to attend them all, that'd be the onlly thing he'd do.

the point is, we know our boys and girls are getting hell there. we just don't feel the urge to support them. why? most of america thinks supporting our troops is the same thing as supporting the war.

i think about it, and how many lifes it is.

on september 11th, 2004, i read through the list of all the people who died. or at least tried to.

i did it by age, and couldn't get past age 22. when you put a face to the numbers, you feel it.

this is the problem. every death on the media should be reported with a picture, not of the coffin, not of the soilder dying. of them at a christmas party with thier family, who will now mourn for them. pictures of them at birthday parties, celebrating a day that will never come for them again. of them having fun with people in their lives, people that will never see them again.

that is the way to report the deaths. show the person who died, not the number.

i don't want to know that 5 people died in car bomb today.
i want to know thier names, thier pictures, pictures of them with thier families. what they liked.

because then, the death is more real. and then, people will care.

but not when it's just '5 soldiers'