Images of War

The chapter entitled the Aesthetic Pleasures of War captivated me immediately. I was compelled to read on, wondering if the readers shared my view of how images of war were used as propaganda by the very individuals we entrusted with our freedom and security. However, instead of reflecting on the chapter per se, I will elaborate on how I believe images of war affect the viewer. With the dawn of the television age, war-torn scenes made their way into the very homes of people around the world. However, although at first it may have had shock value, the footage soon became a daily occurrence and lost its power to move. It was no longer that unfathomable to imagine human beings massacring each other. Furthermore, as long as the violence isn’t directly threatening the viewer or the viewer’s wellbeing, detachment occurs. Detachment from the horror. Detachment from the people affected. Detachment from one’s own sense of humanity.

Well, thankfully, I have noticed that although news clips may have lost their edge in terms of unnerving people, movies have been able to step up to the plate. Although many would argue that movies such as The Last King of Scotland, Shake Hands with the Devil, and Blood Diamond are romanticized, they have the ability to pull the viewer in and live vicariously through the characters. Everyone has heard of the saying: "Walk a mile in their shoes." Well, I believe that becoming enveloped in Solomon Vandy's life or Dr. Nicholas Garrigan is the closest we can get to doing that. It challenges us to feel. It forces us out of our comfort zone. It makes us realize that war is far from heroic or necessary or romantic. Like in any case, it is how media is used which is the issue, not media itself. Furthermore, it is a problem that so many individuals, including pre-service teachers, are not media literate and take what they see at face value instead of deconstructing it for deeper meaning. One says teachers should challenge students to be critical thinkers, but first one must become one oneself.