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| Finding Our Voices: Stories of American Dissent |
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| Written by Miranda Marquit | |
| Wednesday, 02 July 2008 | |
 Photo: jcolman, Creative Commons, Flickr One of the things that bothered me in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was the lack of debate over the merits of the invasion. 
Photo: Imagined Reality, Creative Commons, Flickr My husband was treated to almost-nightly rants about why no one was speaking out against this war, and why no one was asking tough questions. "Why," I demanded again and again, "isn't the media doing its watchdog duty?" (Looking back, I realize that I should have been more vocal in my own community.) What I didn't know was that some people were speaking out. However, in the midst of fears of being labeled "unpatriotic" (and being barred from White House press conferences and maybe not being embedded with the troops) prior to the invasion of Iraq, many of these stories weren't being covered by the mainstream media. When I saw "Finding Our Voices: Stories of American Dissent," I understood that there were significant protests about going to war with Iraq. The movie takes an interesting look at the stories of a few of the people who spoke out against the invasion of Iraq, before it began, and who continue to speak out about it five years later. It is a look at dissent in America, and puts the dissent over the Iraq War in context with the history of debate, protest and social change from the earliest moments of our country's formation. The documentary looked at such anti-war organizations as Code Pink and the efforts of representatives like Jim Moran (one of the minority who voted against giving the President authorization to start a war) to prevent the war. Certain stories were presented in a way that was a bit melodramatic, and I suspect that there was a little puffing-up of the impact that some of these people actually had. Some of the comments about being surprised about being arrested were a bit much, since many activists (and I suspect -- though I can't prove -- that these were some of them) purposely do just what is needed in order to get arrested to bring more publicity. But the overall message was good, and the assertion that some activists that had not been arrested are on FBI watchlists with restricted travel abilities is disturbing. I enjoyed the story of John Brady Kiesling, one of the diplomats (he was in Greece) that resigned in protest over the planned invasion of Iraq. He put the decision to go to war with Iraq in the context of American values. He asked the question: Is this us? Is this really the America we want to be? The stories that I found most intriguing also framed the discussion surrounding the Iraq War as one of values. They were stories of two soldiers who began speaking out against the Iraq War after actually serving there. My husband's cousin is getting ready for his third tour of duty in Iraq, so seeing what soldiers had to say about the war really interested me. Camilo Mejia spoke about some of the interrogation tactics used on the Iraqi prisoners, saying he couldn't believe that, as an American, this was something considered acceptable. He also shared his fears, saying he was scared to say something, lamenting that he would be seen as a traitor for speaking out to defend others' rights. John Bruhns also offered interesting insights from a soldier's point of view. He said he became skeptical of the morality of the war in Iraq. He pointed out that pretty soon after toppling Saddam Hussein, US soldiers were raiding homes two or three times a week, kicking in doors and looking for anti-American propaganda and weapons. After this happens two or three times a night in multiple communities, Bruhns said, the people don't feel liberated. They feel occupied. "If this happened in our country..." He sympathized with Iraqis who confusedly fought intruders, expressing the simple truth that if someone came to America and started doing the same thing, he'd fight to the death to defend his home. "Damn straight," I said to my husband. In the end, though, points about values were what really interested me, the movie is really about the value of dissent. All major social change in our country -- from efforts of the Founders to throw off the reign of a tyrant to the suffragettes to the Civil Rights Movement -- has come from dissent. The Reverend Graylan Hagler summed up the position of dissent quite nicely in the movie when he pointed out how easy it is to slip from a democracy to a fascist state when people don't question the government. Culture 
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(4)
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written by Arnaud , July 05, 2008
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written by Dana Swanson , July 18, 2008
And who would the fools be? The soldiers who were betrayed by their country and sent under false pretenses to a war of aggressions? The mothers and fathers who have lost sons and daughters in this illegal war? Public servants who focus on making the world a better place through cooperation rather than at the end of a gun? Citizens who make a commitment to protecting their country's values and taking a public stand?
The people in Finding Our Voices exemplify the best of America, in my opinion - everyone should take courage from their examples.
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written by Holly Stadtler , July 21, 2008
Miranda:
Thanks for reviewing our film. As Executive Producer I'd like readers & Arnaud who commented to know that other people are also finding the film relevant and important to the dialogue in this country about war and our future. In the last month, 5 film festivals have asked to screen it -- 2 in LA next week. The Action on Film Int'l Festival in Pasadena hosts the world premiere Tues, 7/29 at 8:00pm, Laemmle Theater, One Colorado Blvd. And the West Hollywood Int'l Film Festival screens it the following night, Wed 7/30 at 9:15pm! We've been nominated best political documentary and best female director at Action on Film, and we'll be screening the following week (8/9) at Rhode Island Int'l Film Festival. 2 more festivals have just notified us and we're awaiting specifics. Also in response to Arnaud's comments, many of the movies mentioned have found an audience, impacted lives and are being screened and purchased across the country. Peace-out, Holly
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written by Thalia Doukas , July 22, 2008
Two big messages that this film sent to me are (one) that a participatory democracy only survives as long as we all energetically engage and (two) a responsibility of each individual is to find and educate their authentic voice and then get out there and use it ... A transforming moment for me was when Graylan Hagler tells a crowd that--"whether it was myth or real"--we (people of conscience) believe in & will uphold what we were told America stands for. I also sat up when Adele said she hoped that people she saw standing by and laughing on the sidelines at demonstrations do not live to regret it ... Then there’s the woman outside the Sunday TV talk show doors, who said what bothered her about the ramp up to the war was the absence of real debate (the same point that Miranda begins her comments with). I wonder who will lead the discussion about building viable, peaceful solutions to accelerating conflict and inequities at home and around the globe if we ultra-privileged Americans don't make the time to do so? We need all the large and small voices we can find, to pave the way to the future we have hoped for. As it stands, that future is slipping from our fingers--rapidly and dramatically. The film is not perfect (it seems important to remember that the budget was equal to a button and a piece of string, compared to bigger films) but I have to admit that I’m very thankful for the indispensible reminders that these voices provide.
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It seems some Panelists have a talent for promoting desperate movies drumming a political message that bounces against the walls of the nutty left circus but never goes beyond them.
In short, there is a limited audience for those movies. The same one. Happy to ramble onto the same idiotic messages.
Back in October a Panelelist was betting on the Valley of Elah. It just ended up joining an always longer list of failures: Road To Guantanamo, No End In Sight, A Mighty Heart, Why We Fight, Power And Terror: Noam Chomsky In Our Time, Uncovered: The War On Iraq , Iraq In Fragments.
One prediction, "Finding our voices" with super-Ché actor Sheen will sooner than later be added to this list.