Proud to be an American, Part Two | Ayush Midha

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post detailing my pride in the American emphasis on community service. My beliefs stemmed from the government’s recent efforts to promote volunteering and service through initiatives such as the National Service Day and United We Serve.

Recently, though, I watched the movie Zero Dark Thirty, and my pride was challenged. Of course, people can act in ways that are right and wrong at the same time, but the movie’s depiction of torture techniques such as waterboarding really struck a negative chord with me.

The movie had a few effects on me. The first was forcing me to rethink the motives behind government’s community service efforts. These initiatives are promoted across America while the United States actively pursues programs like Extraordinary Rendition, the process of transferring a person to another country, often for the purpose of torture. This made me seriously doubt the kind words I had written previously.

Second, I was incredibly disturbed by the idea that the United States was willing to do anything to accomplish a singular goal. After discussing my opinion of the movie with some of my friends, I realized that many people considered the movie a demonstration of the persistence and determination of America. I, however, was troubled that the government was willing to tarnish its moral record and public perception entirely for a single objective, however worthy the goal may be. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed watching Zero Dark Thirty, I drew a conclusion from the movie that was even more significant. Although I am still proud to be an American, I question the government’s efforts to portray itself as entirely benign, and I am alarmed by the horrible acts committed in the process of accomplishing a goal.