The Dulce Et Decorum Est debate grew on me the more it was discussed during our visitor's presentation. The army videos show in the beginning of class had such a persuading attitude about them and all I could think the entire time is how guilty the soldiers felt filming them. The horrors that lie deep in the army itself can never possibly be portrayed as inviting. The idea behind them of course is to defend your sacred home land, die for your people and to encourage the nationalistic pride of our fellow Americans. However, behind that concept and honorable belief, the tragic events happening each and every day one spends in uniform could never seem fun and exciting to an individual, the way it is made to be in the videos. The purpose behind the Dulce Et Decorum Est is to throw reality in people's faces. It was written to uncover the terrifying and unimaginable events that go on in warfare. It is made clear that anyone who tries to portray killing others, suffering from severe injuries and watching your fellow soldiers die right beside you as exciting or inspiring, is completely insulting the author of this poem and many other patriotic Americans. These invitational videos are used to grab the attention of young adults to want to serve and that is respectable but I agree with Wilfred Owen's opinion that it is completely unacceptable to let them think it is anything but horrifying and devastating to live through the tortures of warfare.
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