The video itself included the radio chatter that accompanied the events depicted and listening to the lighthearted enthusiasm of the participants, reminded the columnist of the sequence in Apocalypse Now when Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore (Robert Duvall) commends one of his men and adds "Getcha a case of beer for that one!"
The aforementioned debater intimated that journalists covering a war could reasonably expect that a grave in a national cemetery might have a high likelihood level of probability and when challenged with the assertion that the events in Iraq were more likely to have a deadly result for journalists than similar service during World War II did, he (as all good debaters must) challenged the assertion.
By a remarkable co-inky-dink, the columnist just happened to have scanned page 742 of Frank Luther Mott's book American Journalism (Macmillan Company hardback) earlier that day and had the fact that a "grand total of 1,646 newsmen" had participated in WWII. The number of newsmen included the fact that (page 743) "Many women acted as war correspondents." We did not have the total number of journalists killed in both Iraq and WWII available, however.
[Did you know that Leaah Burdette of PM was slain by bandits in Iran, in 1942? (Ibid.)]
The math major stoutly maintained that more newsies were killed in WWII than have been killed in Iraq. Without knowing the specific numbers he authoritatively proclaimed that if the percentages were (hypothetical numbers) 2% in WWII vs. 15% in Iraq, the older number would be higher and thus 2% was larger than 15%.
It was obvious to the columnist and the students, that the topic was of no great consequences, which it would have been if the subject for discussion had, instead, been the prospects for a UCB win over USC this fall, and so the two young men (the math major was complaining of the ambient air temperature) went off to pursue the ghost of Jay Gatsby.
Anyone who compares the newsreel footage from the Nuemburg War Crimes Trials with the video displayed in the "Collateral Murder" DVD would have to enter a plea of nolo contendere if the basis for comparison were to be the level of levity displayed by the participants.
War correspondents may come and then drift away in a red mist, but it is blatantly obvious that if American voters were forced to make a choice, they would much prefer to have a beer at a tailgate party with the guys who "engaged" the terrorists purporting to be medical aid personnel coming to treat the fatally wounded journalists in the DVD than they would be to drink with the Nuremberg rascals.
The public reaction to the World Can't Wait event was probably epitomized by the woman who stated that she wanted the war to end, but she didn't want to get arrested.
Luckily for all concerned, America's last combat troops had left Iraq the same week, thus rendering moot, all the concomitant lively discussions.
A letter of apology, signed by two members of Bravo Company 2-16 and reprinted on a World Can't Wait flyer, says: "With such pain, friendship might be too much to ask. . . . Our hearts are open to hearing how we can take any steps to support you through the pain that we have caused."
Now the disk jockey will play "That's Alright Mama," "The Night They Burned Old Dixie Down," and the theme from "Gone with the Wind." We have to go find a new topic to amuse the bread and circuses crowd. Have a "Charlie, don't surf" type week.
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