David Degner » Egypt Photographer

A Time of War

As you look at these pages recognize your reaction to the images and quotes.  What emotions rise to the surface?  Is it a feeling of pride, disgust, or indifference?  Recognize that many other people have the exact opposite reaction.  Why?
Debates over wars are debates of competing histories.  These histories are formed by wedging falsehood between facts and placing emphasis on different events until each side sees themselves as the innocent victim defending that which is good and right.  In our enlightened society we may praise the search for truth but in times of war it is easier to accept these myths than to accept humans dying without a purpose.
War has a strong attraction for individuals and nations.  Only in war can we find the unity, absolute purpose, and power that we often spend lifetimes searching for.  War gives the individual a chance for glory, to rise above, to be part of something larger than themselves.
War is also the chance for our uncivilized nature to show through.  In war the laws change, barbarity is praised and pacivity is scorned.  The human must be rewired to overcome their non-violent instinct.  The act of killing is done best when there is no buffer of consiousness or morals to delay the act.
War has always been a gruesome proposition.  The bloody deaths at close proximity by sword and spear have been replaced with bloody deaths at a distance with a buffer of technology between soldiers and their target.
The deaths are still as real and each death feeds into the myth, creating another martyr to fight the war for.
Quote #1

The Calvin pissing on jihad shirt is the most popular, “Infidel” is second.  Not many people want to wear the Mohamed cartoon because they don’t want to.  It’s too close to reality and it bothers them though they still find it funny.  It just pisses them off and it makes the mad.  We’re at war I mean.  It is directed towards the islamofaciests – it’s not against all Arabs, just a certain group.

Their culture’s explosive, they used mosques to launch mortars…Either you’re a religion of peace or not.  They’re still in the 14th-15th century, look at how they treat their women, they can’t vote…they’re still in the dark ages.

-Dennis McMurtry, political t-shirts salesman

Quote #2

Unlike some national marches in the past, the pro-immigration rallies have had a bottom-up, organic quality that often surprised organizers and opponents alike. But not everything was spontaneous. In contrast to earlier rallies, which featured Mexican flags and produced a backlash, yesterday’s events were awash in American flags after organizers and radio disc jockeys urged demonstrators not to give their opponents something to criticize.

-Excerpt from Washington Post

Quote #3

He’s dragging our flag on the ground! Pick your fucking flag up off the ground. This ain’t Mexico.

- Anthony Engle, white supremicist heckling protesters

Quote #4

Machine-guns are worse than cocaine.  Men have lost small fortunes to the addiction.

-Ed Briski, machine gun collector

Quote #5

I have the opportunity to be part of an organization that is changing the world very briskly.  I am in the position to see it while it is happening and to see it and instead of just imagining what it is like to make a difference I really get to feal it.  Personally I think I am in a great position.  Am I subject to some of the forces that be? Sure, but even in that it is a learning experience.

-Sgt. Easterly, Marine recruiter

Quote #6

I was 18-19 years old and they trained us not to feel.  I used to have a saying on my helmet ‘The only thing I feel when I blow someones brains out is the recoil.’ But some upper brass made me take it off when it showed up in a picture because he didn’t want the public thinking we were that callous.

This war [Iraqi freedom] is the most politically correct war.  Vietnam there was no control I mean there was the My Lai massacre.  It was young men and they were probably like ‘I don’t care if these people are responsible or not, they look the same.’

Guns today aren’t like the show in the old westerns.  They blow holes in ya they bleed all over the place, its ugly.

As a sniper you see their faces, when I blow up a tank with a missile I don’t see the 3 or 4 people I just killed inside.

I joined out of patriotism by my second deployment I was fighting more for survival.  We were not really winning this thing so I would do what it takes for me and my buddies to get back alive.

The person that hates war more than anyone else is a person that has fought in war.

- Jack T.F. Pike, US Army retired

Quote #7

I had to call my boss and tell him “I don’t think I can work on this deck today.  They just told me my son is dead.”

I just want my son back.

- Barry Settle

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03/07/10 tags:, , ,

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