The artwork on the stage, created by determined veterans, set a picture in the viewer’s minds that will never be forgotten. The blood, sweat and tears that were shed bled through that profound artistry.
It was a fitting backdrop for a presentation by Dahr Jamail, an embedded independent journalist, who spoke on campus Friday night about his experiences in Iraq and using “art as resistance.”
The program was presented by the Year of Service at Moorpark College, which aims to encourage “an attitude of service-an approach to life that integrates understanding, caring and taking action,” according to its mission statement.
Jamail has written articles for print and web media outlets, appeared on television and radio all over the world and won journalism awards. He has made numerous trips to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, including five trips to Iraq. He still cannot get over the amazing culture that the country possesses and will never forget the food.
“Anybody who gets a taste of Iraqi culture would be touched by it,” said Jamail. “It’s the warmest culture I’ve ever encountered, and I felt like I’ve gained weight. They just fed me all day.”
His current book, “Will to Resist: Soldiers Who Refuse to Fight in Iraq and Afghanistan,” covers today’s military resisters shedding new light on the world’s most powerful military.
The U.S. Army had a record number of suicides in 2007, and in 2008 surpassed it. There are 18 suicides a day and a backlog of a million cases, according to Jamail.
“Now part of an American society, more soldiers are killing themselves than dying in combat,” said Jamail.
The military has also changed the deployment time for women after pregnancy from one year to four months. One in three women gets sexually assaulted by the end of their service, and one in 10 men get “blanket partied,” meaning that a blanket is thrown over them and they are raped and or beaten.
“You will not hear about it on the major news television networks and newspapers,” said Jamail, who posts regularly to his website, Dahr Jamails Mideast Dispatches, at dahrjamailiraq.com.
In addition to Jamail’s presentation, a film called “Iraq, Paper, Scissors” by Sarah Nesson, was shown. In the film, veterans are revealed using art as a form of resistance which helps them mend from the viciousness of war.
The art project, called “Combat Paper Project,” was founded at the Green Door Studio in Burlington, Vermont, and involves veterans cutting their uniforms and turning them into art and poetry.
“The old dirty rags that are full of bad memories (are turned) into something good,” said Drew Cameron, who commenced the project with Drew Matott.
In addition to a presentation from Dahr Jamail, a documentary showcasing the Paper Combat Project, where returning soldiers use their old uniforms to make works of art (Kyle Ray)
One of the results of the Paper Combat Project (Kyle Ray)
