Olivia's Blog

Blog # 6: Stop Loss—Media and the War in Iraq

    Stop Loss came out in theatres on March 23rd and the day I traveled to the Pougkeepsie Galleria to see it. By the end of the movie, there was not a dry eye in the house. It told the story of a group of young men shipped to Iraq to fight in the war on terror. They return home and two of them are stop lossed (they have to return to Iraq in a few weeks because there are not enough soldiers without a draft to fight our war). One of the men attempts to flee to Canada to evade the return to war territory.

    I realized over the course of the film that this is one of the first anti-war films made for my generation. It was at least, the first one I saw, and that made me realize the impact that the media can have on the citizens. I never had a stance on the war; I was too young when it began to fully understand the politics surrounding it. Now that I am beginning to comprehend the circumstances I am learning that it is not necessarily our place to get involved with the policies of another country. The media surrounding this war has been controlled by the government (they have access and control over our phone calls, emails, and other forms of communication) and very few anti-war movies have been made. This was one of the first to show the emotional, physiological, and personal effects that war has on the young adults fighting it. It effected me in a profound way. My cousin is going to West Point next year, meaning he has to serve in the forces, and after seeing this movie, it made me pray more and more for peace in our world. The media is beginning to play a crucial role in effecting the opinions of the citizens of the United States of America.