Open Up Your Arms
Last week, I heard a baffling statistic. More Americans followed news of the runaway balloon than coverage of the war in Afghanistan.
With this noise clogging the media landscape, it's hard to get the general public to pay attention to anything important, much less understand the tremendous sacrifices of the 1 percent of Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Fortunately, some extremely talented musicians are working to change that.
Acclaimed rock band O.A.R. has launched a dynamic campaign for the newest generation of veterans. Best known for their hits "Love and Memories" and "Crazy Game of Poker," O.A.R. has blazed a grassroots trail across America, selling out a multitude of venues, from NYC's Madison Square Garden to the Florida Gators' Stadium. The band is also no stranger to supporting the troops. They've been to Iraq and Kuwait with the USO, visited wounded troops at Walter Reed, and performed for vets on MTV's concert special "A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE." But that wasn't enough for them.
So they launched a new interactive website, www.OpenUpYourArms.org, where Americans can pledge their support for our nation's men and women in uniform. With over 16,000 pledges already, we're well on our way to a goal of 111,111 pledges by Veterans Day 2009 on November 11th. As of today, the website now also features the music video for O.A.R.'s new hit single "War Song," inspired by the warriors they met on their USO trip in 2007. The video has some important facts, a kick-ass tune and stars real Iraq Vet Marco Reininger.
Watch the video for War Song right now.
As O.A.R. lead singer Marc Roberge put it, "After meeting our injured troops at Walter Reed and visiting Iraq, we felt a very personal connection to the plight of the physically and emotionally injured warrior. We believe it's time we opened up our doors, minds, and hearts to the men and women that need our support."
With every signature added to the pledge, a national movement that supports and honors our nation's veterans grows. While other music videos focus on bling or popping bottles of expensive champagne in the club, this one gives every American a way to make a difference in the lives of those who've served. O.A.R is taking action, raising awareness and using music as an instrument of change. As we approach Veterans Day, we hope millions of Americans will stand with them and pledge their support to our nation's newest generation of heroes. Watch the video, sign the pledge, and open up your arms today.
You know... the American media drenched the public in the "balloon boy" story to a far greater extent than it offers coverage of either Afghanistan or Iraq. The approach, too, was intimate and provocative; our endless wars overseas, on the other hand, is presented as abstraction, and their victims faceless unknowns.
October 28, 2009 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul Rieckhoff lives in a tree, and never noticed our sensationalistic media landscape until now!
And now he's "baffled!"
This goober will probably be "flummoxed" and "discombobulated" when he discovers sliced bread and talking pictures.
October 28, 2009 3:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
And if you look in a mirror, you may be surprised that what you see is an ass.
October 28, 2009 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you try to make a witty remark, you may be surprised that you're stupid.
October 28, 2009 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, if you see yourself as a wit, I can tell you -- you are half-way there.
October 28, 2009 6:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Paul Rieckhoff knows whereof he speaks. You, on the other hand, are little more than a temporary nuisance.
And to express disappointment and even revulsion at the fact that the American TV-viewing audience demands sensationalism over information is not surprise, except to someone such as yourself, who clearly has little grasp of either reality or human nature.
You owe Rieckhoff, and the other readers of this post, an apology.
October 28, 2009 5:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Riekoff is a fine man and a veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and your comment is way off base
October 28, 2009 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Reading through the quote your excerpted, I don't see where the author expressed surprise at the media.
He clearly stated that coverage of BOTH was offered.
And that Americans chose to pay more attention to the balloon boy story.
That's not an indictment of media, it's an indictment of media-consumers in the public.
Media outlets survey so that they can maximize revenue by having as many consumers as possible utilizing the medium for which they are selling commercial space/time.
So they give the media consuming public the news that the public has indicated it is most interested in. Media did not force balloon-boy coverage down the viewing publics' throat - quite the opposite.
October 30, 2009 12:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
What news out of Afghanistan? Other than talking heads interviewing pundits, with an occasional quote from a General, there isn't any news. When is the last time anyone saw actual footage?
Oh, NPR does a piece about once a week about a guy that everyone loved; had so much talent and hope, and potential; who got killed by an IED, or suicide bomber - you name it. I will hand it to them for trying to make it more personal, but the overwhelming majority of Americans are as far away mentally from these wars as they are physically.
But of course, come Veterans Day, and all other symbolic occasions, the flags will come out; the eyes will get teary, and then everyone will go home and have fried chicken and complain about taxes. Do I sound disgusted? I guess I am.
October 28, 2009 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
I feel exactly the same way abd most of the homes where the flags will be waiving will be right wing republicans who love to wrap themselves in the flag.
October 28, 2009 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
War is the new background noise. Didn't you get the memo?
October 28, 2009 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
What is most baffling is that any one should be baffled.
The runaway balloon was NEW.
Afghanistan is very OLD.
When we went into Afghanistan it was of course NEW.
So new we had no time to stop and think about how it had already become very OLD before, for the Brits, and the Russians. No time for that. Remember how we were going to kick the Taliban's ass and hunt through every cave until we got Osama, dead or alive, and then rip up Al Qaeda's network all around the world, and then lead the world to victory in the war against terrorism, evil-doing, freedom-hating, high oil prices, uncut taxes, and the common cold?
It all passed so quickly. Even before Afghanistan became old for us we had forgotten it on the way to celebrating mission accomplished amidst San Diego surfers making room for an photo-op carrier.
What is most newsworthy about Afghanistan is that we are only now waking up to the realization that we should have had our troops out of there long ago, and have bothered to have developed a plan for what we were even doing there still longer before that.
That all requires THINKING, however, and we're too busy text-messaging, twitting and tweeting, and getting addicted to infotainment. And thinking is not as much fun as watching a UFO with or without a six year old aboard.
October 28, 2009 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
How odd - not. At least the balloon boy story didn't bleed unlike Afghanistan.
October 28, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
This just feels sad knowing that all he ever wanted was just to live. how to get a six pack in a week
October 28, 2009 10:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just imagine how Jon and Kate must feel being usurped by Balloon Boy (snark).
I was just remarking on this the other day, that every other story and politidal issue, (including healthcare), has pushed Afghanistan into the background. This isn't unusual, but it is disappointing and alarming just the same.
October 30, 2009 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink