You Tube Says "Support Our Troops"
You Tube Debate “Support Our Troops�
I thought I would consider the image of the veteran, like I did a few weeks ago, but when I was going around You Tube, I was fascinated by all of the people using the phrase “support our troops.� I decided to do a search with this phrase, and I found some interesting pieces.
The Results:
The search returned over two thousand hits, and of the ones I flipped through, almost all of it is created by average people. There are a few pieces that are clips from news shows or Sunday morning profiles on programs, but almost all of it is created by soldiers, sailors, marines, veterans, wives, husbands, and political people who all have something to say.
The Content:
There were plenty of the pieces created with a political voice by people here on American soil trying to make their voice and opinion known. One of these clips is a man reciting answers to the question “You want to know what it means to ‘support our troops?’� It was posted originally on the Propaganda and Politics site according to the poster. The screen shots are mostly single, tight shots of this man talking. Eventually there is an establishing shot near the end which shows him as a member of a panel. The audience members clap at the end of the recitation. I liked this clip because of some of his points, but I disagreed with a few as well. It spoke to me in the way he is asking their sacrifice to be celebrated and their efforts appreciated, but his final conclusion doesn’t add up with the rest of his speech. See below.
Many videos are photo montages set to music. The musical selection says a lot about the tone and motivation for the piece. They all include something in the comments section about 1)the bravery of the people fighting and their families or 2) how it’s terrible that they are there and need to be brought home NOW. It’s interesting that sometimes the same photo will appear in clips of competing points of view. It’s all in how you look at it. Many of the works that people have put together are moving and very powerful. I wish I had seen these before creating my trite contribution that is currently posted on the discussion board. The photos selected are usually of couples hugging or kissing, soldiers/sailors with a brand new baby (assumedly it is a first meeting), soldiers supporting each other, soldiers/sailors near a war zone (fire, guns, dust, etc), or a funeral setting, flag draped coffin, gun/helmet memorial, etc. There are hundreds of these, but these two videos are representative of what you would find here. They take different strength in how they approach the issue.
The first video is ‘softer’ and appeals to our sense of squishy emotions. I liked this one because it balances all the points of view without being committed to anything. You can watch it and think “GO AMERICA� or “BRING THEM HOME NOW� and have photos to back up your point of view. It is a feeling piece. The second is a montage of harder and sadder shots set to “Hurt� by J. Cash. It’s much stronger. I liked this one because it has an ‘F*** You� Attitude (literally and figuratively) about supporting the troops. Both are powerful and effective pieces.
Aside from the videos, the REALLY interesting thing I found on You Tube were the comments. Many of these posts have decided to allow comments. You can see and feel the HOT debate about this phrase “Support Our Troops� as well as all topics relating to the war. There is something for everyone, and the entire spectrum of opinions is covered. You Tube is serving to be a debate forum as much as it is an entertainment forum. I think that is good in some ways. I am concerned about our lack of interaction with people, but on a forum like You Tube, people are having discourse about tough issues. I just wish people could do it face to face instead of saying things ‘faceless’ in a world where they are not accountable for their comments.
I spent hours watching these videos, but they really boiled down to the same ideas and topics over and over again. It is interesting to me, however, how one phrase can bring out so much love and so much disdain at the same time.