Shawn Gaston - "Stop Loss"

This movie was incredible portrayal of what is really happening in the war today. I’m going to start off by saying that I am a Republican who has supported the choice from the beginning to protect our country and fight back against the people who attacked us on September 11th. However at the same time know a lot of soldiers that are overseas fighting this war and I pray every night for peace on earth. This movie was the story of a brave soldier who had completed many missions in the war against Iraq and had to see many of his fellow brothers injured and killed in battle. He finally got out and was so happy to come home and be with his family and friends in Texas. Then he got Stop Lossed, the stop-loss policy has often been called the “backdoor draft.” It’s a policy that allows any branch of the military to involuntarily extend the time of any of its enlisted members. Used on thousands of troops since 9/11, soldiers who are due to go home could get reassigned another tour of duty without their consent. He couldn’t believe that after everything he had went through he was being sent back over when he thought he was done. This opened my eyes to what was really happening in this war. He fled the state and ran to avoided being sent back. I can’t blame him, if I were in the position I would be just as anger and upset. In the end of the movie he ends up coming home saying goodbye to his family and friends again agreed to live out his duty. The fact that this story is not just a movie but that it is happening today is such a frightening concept. God is present in each and every American Citizen that is willing to give their time and hearts to protecting this country and taking the risk that they may have to give the ultimate sacrifice of all, their lives. Even a man that had been promised his freedom from war sometimes must return. Most say that they fight for their families and friends but that it is the power and love of God that gets them through the roughest of times. They did show God presence in the movie, it showed the prayers that were prayed while at war. One of the soldiers preached to everyone and baptized his fellow men. I like how they didn’t hide God like some movies do but actually showed how much of an impacted He has on the soldiers fighting this war.