Dear Editor/Producer,

I’m not a scholar and I don’t expect this letter to be published, but I would like to have my say and hope that in someway it will help the situation I and many other Military families face.

How can a news Editor not know what damage the constant bombardment of the negative aspects of the Iraqi War could be on a Military family which in turn goes right back to the Military members themselves? I am afraid to turn on the Television while my children are in view of it due to the fact there is nothing positive ever said about Operation Iraqi Freedom on most news broad casts. I rarely have heard about the positives that are going on in Iraq, and I know there are some, but the only time I do find anything positive said about what the Military men and woman are doing out there is when I turn on TV late at night, Public Television, or find those news casts of Hearings and Investigation Committee meetings where there is FINALLY some show of good that has been done in Iraq. I know that all the work the US Military, Coalition forces, and especially the Iraq people themselves are doing is having a positive effect in Iraq. I am certain that much of the increased violence in the past couple months and I expect the next several months is due in part that there is good coming out of this and the “terrorists” (not sure what else to call them.) are scared of loosing their place in Iraq or what control they had through the previous regime. They don’t like what is being done, they don’t like our presence and I’m sure they don’t like that the Iraqi people are working towards something different.

My point is this, I was under the impression that the “News” was just that to report the “news” which in most cases due to laws of the Universe includes both positives and negatives. Why is it that an Editor feels it necessary to only show the Negatives? Is it because of the Presidential Election is this year and as Editor are forced to figure that the Negative is more middle of the road so have to appease both of the main parties? Why punish the Military and their families? Why isn’t it possible to actually send out some journalists to find the positive side of Iraq to report back maybe just once a week at least? Is there NOTHING positive that the Military men and woman are doing out there which could be shown here at home to give their families further pride and hope?

The one way I feel that many American’s can help is by being proud of our Military, but how can we do this in some cases when all that is shown to us is the negatives? The media holds so much power. How can we be proud of them when they aren’t doing any good there right? They are just in this constant negativity that is portrayed by the media which I suspect is to make the current President and his administration look bad, if not that than I do not understand why. In this day and age why can’t there be some show of pride in our troops and bring a nightly segment dedicated just to them? Why not hear the mood of the troops from the troops themselves? I suppose if that were done there’d have to be some type of spin on that though to compete with the junk that is already on TV? I don’t think there would, and I think it would bring America close to the troops and in turn the troops close to home.

I admit that there are serious negatives mainly the prisoner abuse scandal. Also their is the fact that their not finding “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq is a serious offence on our part if in fact the information was doctored in anyway, but heck it is way too late to do anything to change the fact that our Military and other forces are there trying to set things straight. Has everyone forgotten the fact that we had to go in their and help rescue Kuwait from Iraq before?? I have known since 1990 that the US eventually would have to deal with Sadam Husien (sorry not sure of the spelling since we (military spouses/families) have heard our Military members refer to him as “So Damn Insane” for so long I couldn’t be sure how to spell it.)

So, I plead with you as the Editor/Producer to please support our Military forces by supporting their families here at home. These families who are trying desperately to cling to the fact that there is a reason and a meaning to our lives being pulled apart and in some cases ended. Is there no goodness at all that has come of what has been done already? Will there ever be any shining moments of Heroism shown on the nightly news? It is sad that Military Families support each other better one to another in knowing that at least there is one less “So Damn Insane” madman able to torment his people or those countries around him but the Media doesn’t even remind the American people of that fact. It is sad that American Editors/Producers are unable to bring any “positives” that have come from this war into the livingrooms of those Military families to give them further pride and hope for their Military member.

Please find some positives. Also realize American’s aren’t the only ones that watch our news casts. Maybe the people of Iraq and the surrounding countries only see/hear our media continually bad mouth our Government, play up our failings, show those times that pit one American against another that all they can figure is that we are terrible people here in America. When I try and think of our media broadcasts from a non-American point of view I am embarrassed, especially the way we show our support for our troops and their families through the Media…not much at all.

Sincerely,
Sharolyn Buck
US Navy Wife for 14yrs of Service.