Finding it very hard to sit hear and listen to everyone at work harping on about paintballing yesterday, laughing about shooting each other at pointblank range and showing off their various whelts.......

.......whist Im sat looking a bubba's iraq photos link.

Boy the world seems fucked up this monday morning.

I used to play "war" when I was a nipper all the time, and then used to be obsessed with air-rifles, etc, etc....but it never made me want to actually kill somebody. I also love violent video games and learning how to kick people's heads in at Muay Thai, but these things are far removed from actually doing it.

I think that there's violence in us all, it's how you choose to channel it, and whether you can keep a lid on it. I'll bet a high proportion of the soldiers in Iraq don't actually want to be there shooting and bombing people - many of them probably joined up for what they saw as an exciting career, or because it was the only thing open to them when they left school. It's the political designs of governments and dictators that make these things actually happen. That's the real danger.

spose - it just disturbs me that everyone was laughing about the fact that they'd shot someone at point blank range.

All kids play war - because we are brought up on cool movies that glorify war rather than depict the reality. We take our kids to lazer quest for their birthday parties etc. Just sanitize it, dress it up in heros and flesh wounds. Its all just a bit insipid and basically, paintballing is as close as you can get to being involved in combat without having your vital organs minced. Thats why photos - like the ones you linked are so important showing the real face of war and what actually happens when you shoot someone at point blank range.

[/politically correct rant]

Anyone for a spot of playstation, grand theft auto?

I agree, the realities of war should be shown - although I count my blessings that I've never (yet) had to be faced with such a situation, not everybody is so lucky - it kind of puts into perspective the importance of redecorating the living room, or that new car you want or whatever.

Check these ::

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/

Stories from American GIs wounded in Iraq. Quite upsetting some of them.

Holy Crap - some of that stuff is grim.

Having taken a bullet to the jaw

"I spit out the bullet and pulled the glass out of my cheek," said Koch, 33. "He stared at me for a second or two like I had come back from the dead. I don't imagine I looked too good."
......

"Even though it was chaos, it was very efficient," Koch said. "He was on the radio with one hand and handing me bandages with the other. And I was driving with one hand and stuffing bandages in my mouth with the other."

Click to expand...

that one is one of the less gory ones. :shock: