In any case, I respect that you seem to understand where I’m coming from. Kudos!

Also, the ‘perfect world’ thing. If you ever decide to have a fun conversation with someone, that makes for a good topic. It’s actually pretty interesting to see how many different definitions and interpretations of ‘perfect’ you will come across. Some might even question the connotation of ‘world’ as well, which is also different. (Yes, most my matter-of-factly state the planet Earth, but does each individual’s own world consist of every piece of this planet, including that which they can’t even inhabit?)

In any case, Ron, what the hell are you talking about? Get your shit together before you start arguing or I’ll be forced to beat you over the head and drag you back to my cave for dinner.

Anyone with an intelligence quotient above room temperature knows that media bias exists. Secondly, I understand that college is a time of growth, learning, and embracing new views and ideals, but if you seriously believed in the feelings being shoved down your throat by those professors, then maybe you should have spent a few more years there.
[Which, by the way, your professors were apparently horribly disillusioned in some way, but welcome to the real world, right? Educators are humans, too, and cannot be expected to escape the vices of men such as rampantly unfounded bias more so than any other average person. I don't care how many degrees they've got.]

Yes, your disheartening experiences with biased individuals are sad, and I apologize you were subjected to such. However, we’ve still got a war calling our attention. Take your whiny bias complaints elsewhere. (As for intelligence, why not dwell on things like ‘focus’ and ‘not typing down everything your stream of consciousness picks up.’

Now, mrpinkeyes (I really don’t understand your name. Not to be rude, I ask this out of pure curiosity. Is it from allergies or tears?), I agree that it’s sad to hear bad news over good news. However, I hope you realize the necessity of hearing the bad before worrying about the good, as well as why it’s being done.

Aside from that, it seems that you’re assuming from the third quote that America’s idea of progress is congruent with that of Iraq’s, and that the goals of the two countries merge with one another. I implore you to reconsider. I realize Iraq’s current condition is riddled with disagreement among the inhabitants and a lack of structure, but are America’s implanted means really belong there, much less going to work?

Also, define ‘perfect.’ As in, this ‘perfect world’ you speak of. Because I know for my definition, even perfect worlds would contain war. Perfect, being such that people would act completely natural and fairness would be exacted not by man-made laws, but by the people involved and in the seemingly most warranted manner. That, is my very basic, bare-bone idea of “the best of all possible worlds.”

Hmm. Chew on that, and please do respond!

W-A-R. Our country is paying soldiers to k-i-l-l another country’s insurgents and whoever else is standing in the way. What good news do you really want? Do you want a news report every night of the total number of kids whose parents didn’t die that day? War does not harbor good news. War is waged so that one’s ideologies and values can replace what is already there. There’s only one good side, and that’s the victor’s side.

Also, if the news were never to report anything good from Iraq, how was it you were able to find that article? Someone had to have written it, and I’m guessing it wasn’t a soldier or an Iraqi citizen. That must mean.. It was a journalist of some nature! So, this amazing news of falling death statistics IS being reporting! But, I must say.. Would we really have to worry about these statistics if we as a country had not invaded Iraq to begin with?

To bring things back around, I’d like to remind you of human nature for a moment. If the news every night were dandy and content, would Americans even realize there is a war going on in another country? And that America is the invading force?? No. You have to keep the public eye on the problems at hand so that they can be fixed. You can’t fix what isn’t broken.

So, while it’s a good idea to keep the morale alive of the citizens who voted for these officials, the collection of citizens who can actually apply critical thinking skills to the world around them still wouldn’t be so easily swayed into believing that this war serves a real, useful purpose simply through a slurry of irrelevant, yet home-hitting stories about the victories of war’s victims. These “unpatriotic” individuals, as I’m sure you believe they are for not agreeing with the war, are probably the closest thing to a true citizen that’s left in this country.