The U.S. soldier leans against the wall attentively with his weapon during a cordon and search in the Rashid district of Baghdad as an Iraqi girl leans against the wall, relaxed while blowing bubbles. Different people in different worlds sharing the same space. Contrast the different roles of the two people in this image? How is it compelling to you? Does it change the opinion of your look at the war?
6 comments:
The thing that amazes me about this pictre is who these two people from two different worlds are living together. These kids are so used to seeing men with guns and hearing bombs and gun shots that it has become second nature to them. Mean while a child in the United States would become terrified if they were put in this situation. The picture protrays that these events are normal to these kids. And they shouldn't be.
The two subjects, the soldier and the little girl, seem to me to be parallel opposites. Everyday the soldier carries around his gun because that's his job, and the girl carries around bubbles because that's her job as a little kid. The sad part about the picture is that she feels safe playing where there are armed soldiers present. The soldiers hint that there is some sort of danger in her neighborhood; no kid should have to grow up in a place where armed soldiers are necessary for "peacekeeping." This little girl's life would have been so different if she wasn't living in an area where life with war was a normal occurrence. No one should have to live "normally" fearing for his or her life.
This picture caught my attention because it is depicting the reason the United States are in Iraq. They are over there trying to improve the country so that the children in that country do not have to go through the same hardships as did their parents and generations before them. I believe the children in Iraq are at this point used to the soldiers being there and guns to them are no longer a threat. The child does not seem to be scared by the fact the soldier is holding a gun less than 5 feet away. Being a soldier and a child, these two beings are from two totally different places and upbringings but the reason the soldier is there is to help protect the children. In return, I believe the children know the soldiers will not hurt them. The fact that the children are used to guns and violence is not a good thing, but my views on this war in Iraq do not really change. No matter where there is war, there are always going to be children around.
There are several things that stand out to me in this picture. First of all, everyone is relaxed specifically the soldiers. The picture is bright and contrasts what a “normal” picture of war. The little girl does not even seem to be phased by the presence of the military. She is playing and blowing bubbles, something any child would enjoy. I hope that this picture represents something about the future generations of Iraq. Another thing that is striking to me is that the girl is not covered like the Iraqi women. Her face is exposed while she is playing. I hope that this photograph is representative of our future.
This picture is very compelling. It is wierd to see two people in "different worlds sharing the same space". This picture really grabs you because you know these two people are sharing similar emotions and compleatly different ones. The man in the picture is probably scared and sad. The man also probably know exactly why he is at this war and what his place is in it. The little girl on the other hand looks relaxed and content. Although I am sure she is also scared she obviestly knows alot less then the soldier. I am sure that all of these children live in fear but its a diffrent kind of fear. The fear of the soldier is of what he has done and has to do. The fear the little girl hold is the fear of the unknown. This picture really makes you think about the people in this war that dont even know why they are involved in it. I dont fully understand what is going on in the war but i do know that it is not right to put little kids through this. I know that the soldiers nor us can control this but that just makes me hope that sometimes we can all stop fighting. This picture along with many others make you think of the side of war that is so innocent. The people that want nothing to do with it but can not avoid it. This picture makes me feel bad for these people but at the same time just really makes me wish that maybe some day it can all be over!
The picture of little girl and the soldier in Iraq definitely draws the viewer in. The little girl seems to be at peace in such a war torn area while the soldier has his weapon ready for combat. How can this picture contain such a contrast? Children in battle areas like Iraq grow up accustomed war and violence, but the picture seems to depict a child living a care free life. The child and the soldier do not seem to notice each other and they are both carrying on like the other one is not there. This picture makes the war in Iraq hit home. What if this was your little brother or sister, would you want them to grow up in an environment like this? This picture could be used for support against the war. When civilians living in war areas are seen, many people do not favor the war because they are invading people’s place of shelter. This picture could also be used to help rally support for the war. When people see that soldiers are in civilian areas, support for the troops may go up because the picture is showing a peaceful situation. This is a very powerful picture that could either help or hurt the war today.
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