War on the web
By Philip Aubart
Published on Wednesday, November 15, 2006
To the Editor:
Comments made in the article "Students watch violent Iraq war on YouTube" (Nov. 10) show a lack of understanding of and surprising dearth of concern for the sacrifices U.S. soldiers make. The thought that simply watching YouTube videos of the Iraq War allows the viewer to "put [themselves] in [the soldiers'] shoes" is insulting to every soldier who has experienced combat. A viewer, safe in America, has no idea what war is actually like. This statement trivializes the horrors of war that many soldiers confront daily. Trying to relate to the soldier is admirable, but war cannot be experienced through videos.
Furthermore, the assertion, "It's a video clip on the internet; they're a dime a dozen" is reprehensible. Are our soldiers lives also a dime a dozen? There are many clips on the internet, but that does not require desensitization to their content. Brave soldiers fighting for their lives don't equate to videos that are "a dime a dozen."
We must view videos of the Iraq War delicately. They don't allow us to put ourselves in the soldiers' shoes, but neither can they be disregarded as "a dime a dozen." Respect the sacrifices that are made, but don't view these videos as a chance to experience the sacrifices personally.
Saturday was Veteran's Day, a national holiday receiving sadly little attention at Dartmouth. In remembrance of this day, I ask that we always remember to respect our soldiers both past and present. They brave violence daily so we don't have to.