Disturbing trend...

MightyQuinn · #1 07-01-2005, 11:05 AM

I was watching MTV's "Made" last night and the topic was soldiers returning from duty in Iraq. As I was watching the show I noticed all of the soldiers they interviewed were white males. The more I thought about it I realized that most of the interviews and news clips I read or see concerning the war in Iraq focuses on white soldiers and their experiences. Is it me or does it seem like the media totally ignores the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of people of color serving in all branchs of the military in Iraq? Now mind you I just completed my military commitment in 2004 and my husband is still active duty Army on his way back to Iraq for the third time so I know firsthand that we too have taken up arms and put our lives in harms way for this country. Part of me is hurt but a larger part of me is pissed the hell off at the onesided reporting going on in the media today. If I didn't know any better, and believe me some people don't, I would think that the white soldiers are the only ones on the front line and all the black soldiers do is sit behind desks drinking coffee. I am proud to have been able to serve this country and I am even more proud of every soldier that is serving or has served in the Armed Forces but I really would like to see credit given where credit is due!

AKA2D '91 · #2 07-01-2005, 11:51 AM

Thank you for your contribution. I will pray for your husband. The coverage does seem to represent only one side. Is that totally the media's faught? As a former member of the military, do you see how the branches of the military or the DOD can be held responsible for the seemingly one-sided coverage? Can military personnel (even though faced with more issues than "coverage" while fighting) do anything about how they are being represented or not represented? Is there any way military members can speak out and say "hey, we are over here too." "We are fighting and losing our lives as well."

ETD:"o"

MightyQuinn · #3 07-01-2005, 12:20 PM

Thank you AKA2D'91

I think this problem can be addressed by both the DOD and the various news agencies. For one, I know reporters and soldiers have to get some type of clearance from the DOD before conducting such interviews so there has to be some way for them, meaning the DOD, to make sure all soldiers are accurately represented. If left up to there own vices, the media would love to paint everything good one color and unfortunately that color ain't black. I know here at Hood the wife of one of my former soldier's started a petition addressing this issue so I hope that will help to shed some light on this.

AKA2D '91 · #4 07-01-2005, 12:26 PM

Good luck!

Maybe we'll see you all (wives and soldiers) on Dateline or something.

MightyQuinn · #5 07-01-2005, 12:31 PM

If I do end up on there you can't miss me because I'll be the one with my fist in the air wearing a single black leather glove singing "Power to the People"!

christiangirl · #6 07-01-2005, 03:18 PM

You see the same thing in pictures of supporters back home. So, in another aspect, you'd assume only white men/women are serving because it seems that only white families are supporting those who are serving. We've been pushed out of the picture on both fronts. Seems like another attempt to portray our people as apathetic and imply we are not "true Americans." How can you prove otherwise when all your attempts to do are edited? When people say history is subjective, they don't play. You know, my org. had an open forum brainstorming how to get our people and our accomplishments into the history books, and for the 90 min. we were there, no one could come up with anything (it just turned into this huge "whites are to blame for everything" forum

) In the end, we could see that we spend so much time complaining about the stereotypes placed on us and who did it and why, that we hardly ever get around to finding solutions. So if anyone comes up with a way to make that Dateline segment happen, share it. We can each take some ideas and work it on every station that'll let us.

christiangirl · #7 07-01-2005, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MightyQuinn
Thank you AKA2D'91

I think this problem can be addressed by both the DOD and the various news agencies. For one, I know reporters and soldiers have to get some type of clearance from the DOD before conducting such interviews so there has to be some way for them, meaning the DOD, to make sure all soldiers are accurately represented. If left up to there own vices, the media would love to paint everything good one color and unfortunately that color ain't black. I know here at Hood the wife of one of my former soldier's started a petition addressing this issue so I hope that will help to shed some light on this.

Good thinking, that's an excellent idea. I think black colleges can get in on this, too. Rallies to support the war would get at least local coverage. And in big cities/"black" cities, there's a better chance of getting coverage on a larger scale.

ChangePlease · #8 07-04-2005, 05:56 PM

see and this is EXACTLY why nonwhites DON'T need to be in the military

let the white boys who benefit from the system fight to protect not US

mccoyred · #9 07-08-2005, 04:07 PM

Jessica Lynch
Shoshana Johnson

DSTCHAOS · #10 07-09-2005, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MightyQuinn
does it seem like the media totally ignores the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of people of color serving in all branchs of the military in Iraq?

Not to me.

MightyQuinn · #11 07-10-2005, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DSTCHAOS
Not to me.

Soror I wish I could say the same.

Boom_Quack13 · #12 07-12-2005, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MightyQuinn
If I do end up on there you can't miss me because I'll be the one with my fist in the air wearing a single black leather glove singing "Power to the People"!

And I'll be right beside you!

(Hubby is active duty Marine.)

Boom_Quack13 · #13 07-12-2005, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by christiangirl
Good thinking, that's an excellent idea. I think black colleges can get in on this, too. Rallies to support the war would get at least local coverage. And in big cities/"black" cities, there's a better chance of getting coverage on a larger scale.

Rallies to support the war? Puh-lease.

We don't support the war or the war effort. When I pray for safety and harm bypassing soldiers, I pray for both sides. Neither of the sides that are fighting really want to be there. They were forced into a situation by greedy white men, who would never go there, themselves.

Boom_Quack13 · #14 07-12-2005, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ChangePlease
see and this is EXACTLY why nonwhites DON'T need to be in the military

let the white boys who benefit from the system fight to protect not US

(Whatchoo doing in my head?

)

christiangirl · #15 07-12-2005, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Boom_Quack13
Rallies to support the war? Puh-lease.

We don't support the war or the war effort. When I pray for safety and harm bypassing soldiers, I pray for both sides. Neither of the sides that are fighting really want to be there. They were forced into a situation by greedy white men, who would never go there, themselves.

SORRY! I don't know what I was thinking, I meant to type soldiers in the war (especially black soldiers). I didn't even realize the rest of my phrase was missing. My brain goes faster than my fingers sometimes