Response to Control Room

         I thought the video, “Control Room”, was quite interesting. It wasn’t like any other video or documentary I have ever seen before. It was eye-opening to witness what occurs in the Iraqi War looking through an opposing perspective. We are not necessarily exposed to both sides of the war, so it is difficult to see the contrasting viewpoint. It was different to see Americans being portrayed as the “bad guys” since we are always taught to believe the opposite.  Al Jazerra displayed graphic images that were certainly disturbing to look at. The images of the dead American soldiers hit me particularly hard. It showed the devastation war causes and the amount of lives that are lost. We are seldom shown such images to this extent.  I also thought the clip of the Arab people in the riot burning the American flag showed the animosity between the two countries. It was terrifying to watch such action take place. I was surprised that the interviews with the American prisoners were being shown on the news. You would never see such images or videos on our news today. I feel as if our news is more modest than that of Al Jazerra. To me, Al Jazerra was clearly in the wrong. They went to a certain extent to where you could not ignore what was happening in this country.  We all perceive news from different stand points and each side is going to be biased towards themselves and their opinion. It is up to us to find out about both sides and their viewpoints in an equal matter.

            The exercise we did on Wednesday was also intriguing. Going through all the amenities and deciding whether we have them or not made me realize just how privileged I am. There are many families and individuals who have much less than I do or nothing at all. Also, passing around the book about showing what people have was very emotional. I got to see people who are considered middle-class to those who are in poverty, living with barely anything. I am very grateful for what I have and all that life has offered me.