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From: Ed McGloin
T1: Rubyiat@aol.com
Date: 10/6/97
Time: 7:04:16 PM
Remote Name: 152.163.213.28
To reiterate certain points of the text to the psychological ramifications of the POW/MIA myth is to take on not only the moral psyche of a country, the US, but a criticism of the media exposure in perpetuating the myth. While it is conceivable to understand the motives of friends and relatives of supposed MIA's it does not justify the government's anticipation and manipulation of the facts constructed by such a lie. In addition the mass media's involvement in portraying the myth of the MIA not only condemns a certain unethical opportunism of this media but also a condemnation of the gullible public as well. While I have never considered myself to be an anti-war proponent and freely admit my lack of idealism I also do not buy the typically disseminized and sterilized facts presented by the media or government. The linking of extension in a war with the return of the MIA's one is stuck by the inherent misconception and misrepresentation of the war as a whole. It symbolizes in microcosm the warped perspective of the war and how these perceptions have been used to perpetuate the myth of the war and of that curse the myth of the MIA. In addition to this falsification enacted by our government, not the first and certainly the last, ie., central and south america with our covert and overt support of military junta's in the 80's, china and the warlords in WWII, iran and the shah in the 70's, etc., what is the criticism of Hollywood's depictation of the war? The author likes to cite rambo as his example and I have to agree there seems to be lack of desire for the facts. However I don't think criticism of a movie is of primary importance, movies have never been known for presenting truth, what is the central issue is the reflection of the public's blind and passive acceptance to such distorted truths. We as a society are bombarded 24 hours a day with propaganda of what is it to be an american. We have labels for everything and everyone. Are you pc(politically correct) or not? Are you an american or not? And so on and so on. In a personal note I have run into this myth as well, as a former servicemen, a marine, I do not and never have worn or owned an MIA sticker, wristband, ribbon, etc. In my unit as well others, a sort of tradition is the barb wire tatoo, which I might say is in vogue and very much the rage today, began as commemoration of MIA's. I do not have this or any other military tatoo