Web Letters: Phil Donahue's War

While our TV screens show us cosmetic ways to glorify the outer flesh to enhance our self-esteem, our distorted dream, demanding a portrayal of total narcissism, the Truth of war exposes the true nature of our flesh.

War enlists the other side of flesh, that side which is torn open, that which is maimed, that which is destroyed. --- As is the soul that it carries. Yes, by all means expose both side of flesh; along with the mutilators and the mutilated, the killers and killed, (each side has them), and then --- feel the death of one's soul.

That is the true nature of war, and at present, a war that none of the Bush families or Cheney children embrace enough to serve in the military, fighting in Iraq for their country, as do the tragic soldiers that are dying for false ideals, for the sake of a "Narcissistic Lie".

War is Hell-- It Destroys Everything!

Bohdan Yuri

Kennebunk, Maine

Finally we are beginning to understand what professor Marshall McLuhan meant by "the Medium is the Message." I actually heard Tucker Carlson argue with Phil Donahue that it wasn't the American troops' responsibility to protect Iraq citizen from violence. I think that, tragically, Marshall McLuhan was correct: the medium has, in fact, fragmented our society beyond return--although the issue of the Olympics Torch and the resulting opposition may be a ray of hope. I just hope that we don't have a situation like Ohio State and Kent State. I saw three Korean War veterans the other standing on a bridge with and "end the war" sign. There may still be hope. Looking forward to Phil Donahue's film, but I still have nightmares about the magazine pictures of the My Lia massacre, and the cover picture of the little girl running down the road with all her clothes burned off by napalm. I can still vividly see the french news paper picture of the 13-year-old boy's contorted face in emotional pain after one of our tanks blew his house and family away.

James Pinette

Caribou, ME