The Realities of War

First off, let me start by again making this disclaimer: I hate poetry. With a passion. Because of this, Here, Bullet was a strain for me to read and enjoy. Although, however, the collection of poems did offer a different sort of perspective on war. So often we are used to being exposed to war as a necessary evil, making it seem less harsh. The American audience is usually brainwashed in a way that the violence is almost taken out of war because the victims are dehumanized. For example, on the news we may see a headline that reads, "3 Insurgents dead after car bombing". Using the word Insurgent to replace mother, child, father or grandmother takes away the emotional context of the situation. In Here, Bullet however, that emotional content is placed upfront and center. The reader is given the absolute and harsh unveiled truths of contemporary warfare. It is not sugar coated or plucked and primed. Rather, instead it is cold and harsh. Further, we also see this idea of harsh reality exposed in the novel Sand Queen by Helen Benedict. Sand Queen is told in a way that one can relate and engage with. When reading it I have noticed that I am oftentimes envisioning myself in the situations. I’m not sure why, but it almost feels like I can identify with Kate and Naem making the storyline all the more real for me. Benedict also gives the reader an inside look on contemporary warfare because she too doesn’t eliminate the horrors of war and actually invites the reader to engage in those horrors. She gives both sides of the story and doesn’t just offer the traditional American opinion. Both novels illustrate the idea that contemporary warfare indulges much more than just killing the bad guy. It takes a very emotional and rough turn on your life and can oftentimes leave you scarred in that manner.