This photograph was taken by Luis Sinco, of the Los Angeles Times, of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller smoking a cigarette after the battle of Fallouja. The story is as much about the power of the photograph as is it about the effects of war on the human soul. The story Miller tells about his life after coming home takes all the varnish of glory off of any war story. Sinco shows what it is like to be in the middle of an intense military conflict. What emotions do you feel while looking at this photograph? Why do you think he resulted to smoking, or does smoking even have an affect on him?
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
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I definitely feel that war can have a negative effect on the human soul. I also feel that if I were to be over in Iraq I would look for anything to take my mind off of some of the things going on around me. This maybe the answer to why so many soldiers do turn to things like smoking. Also, once one starts smoking cigarettes it becomes more than just a past time, most find it as a way to calm down. I am unsure if this has any real logic to it but I guess whatever helps you make it though the day.
The war in Iraq has had negative effects on many people around the world. The citizens of Iraq have to deal directly with the negative effects such as destruction of their cities. Many of the citizens that cannot leave live in fear and feel helpless to things that are occurring around them. As for the brave soldiers who fight for our country, the war has definitely had a profound effect on them. In the photo, there is a marine who looks depressed. The man appears dirty and nonchalant. Also, it can be reasonably stated that when people become depressed, they often pick up addictions. In the photo the marine is smoking a cigarette, and probably smokes daily as a way to not think of the existing situation that is occurring in Iraq. Some of the obvious negative effects that people have to deal with are solider causalities and the “Iraq” enemy causalities. Also there is an uncontrollable amount of civilian causalities. Seeing the many deaths and actually having to partake in killing people make most soldiers become depressed and go out of their mind. Also, the lifestyle the soldiers live has negative effects on them. Many of them are unsure of if they will survive and live to see the next day because of the security issues. In the end, I think this war has taken a toll on countless people around the world. It’s important that this war comes to an end soon.
While looking at this photo, i feel absolutely no emotion. The look on the soldiers face is very, for the lack of better words, emotionless. This war is leaving people distraught not only across the seas, but in home towns all across America. I feel like this expression is one lacking hope, and without a doubt the same feeling is being felt in America today. This is exactly what war can do to people, without taking into account all the good that is being done at the same time. As for the cigarrette, i feel like it does have some significance, because it shows that the war has had an effect on the soldier (barring the fact that he may have started smoking before going into battle).
The war has many negative effects on the soul, but I feel that smoking would be a very minor effect of what they are going through. Maybe this gives him something to look forward to, or keep his mind off of things. While smoking is a bed habit to pick up, if these marines are using it to feel better, then I think they should do what they have to do to keep there spirits up. I think that there is however a point when you have to draw the line. In the Vietnam war, many of the soldiers developed nasty drug habits as a way to escape, and many continued these habits even after the war. I would hope that our marines would not result to drugs as an outlet for escaping the war.
The first thing that I notice when I look at this photograph isn’t Miller’s cigarette, but his eyes. The void, defeated expression is striking. That really shows the negative effects of the war and the true impact it has on his soul. The dirtiness of his face and the cigarette then add to the effect his eyes have.
When I look at Miller’s eyes I see a person that has seen too much and has realized that he’s going to see more. The anguish seems almost tangible and it breaks my heart to look at this picture. It makes me want to help, to ease his pain, but there’s nothing that I can do, just like there’s nothing that cigarette can do.
People generally smoke to release tension and to relax; Miller doesn’t look relaxed at all. In fact his hard expression coupled with his dirty face give off the impression of a person who has been worn down and defeated in a sense.
This picture would be great to use in an essay because it captures so many emotions and really evokes a response from the person seeing it.
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