Welcome to hell.

Imagine being a prisoner of war. Imagine not understanding your captors' language, not knowing where you were being held, not sure if you would live to see tomorrow. Imagine helplessness. Imagine humiliation. Imagine horror.

Two weeks ago, photographs were released of Iraqi prisoners being taunted, tortured and terrified. Their captors, members of our esteemed military, smiled in the background, gave thumb-up signs and congratulated each other for inventing such creative inspirations of abuse.

The Iraqi prisoners are not innocent for crimes against Americans by any means. They need to be punished for their atrocities against our nation. However, they do not need to receive their justice from low-ranking, swaggering military personnel.

I really like our military. They keep me safe in my home, and I thank them for giving their lives for our protection. I know several students in the National Guard, and they are selfless, dependent people.

However, like in any group, bad apples spring up and reflect harshly on the unit as a whole. And I would like to congratulate the devil's disciples for making the entire world again look down on the United States and wonder why we want to save the world when we apparently can't even save ourselves.

So, as a result of those malevolent military photographers and prison wardens, not only is our military bearing the brunt of the shame, but our president, our leader, has to go on Al-Arabiya, an Arab television station, and admit to Iraqis, "This is a serious matter, a matter that reflects badly on our country," and assure them, "There will be investigations. People will be brought to justice."

One question begs attention, though: Were you pleased? Did you take joy at someone else's degradation and disgrace? Did you think to yourself, "They do the same to us; they deserved it?"

Our society is becoming desensitized through Hollywood horror, media madness and individual indifference. Directors and writers struggle to obtain the highest level of gore and simulated sorrow, while most of the media uses shock and sensationalism to increase ratings. And the populace gorges on it like a Christmas meal.

Not only do we fill our stomachs with gruesome images, but we bicker with each other, separating and squabbling when we should stand together.

We are at war! Does no one understand that? Yes, I understand you might not like our president. Yes, I understand you might wholly disagree with our involvement in the Middle East. But we are there anyway!

Our men and women are dying to help the Iraqis. How would you feel if you were in Afghanistan or Iraq fighting for your country and fighting for the freedom of others and have so little support back home? How would you feel?

I'm not saying I agree with our stance in Iraq or that I am against it. I just wish our military would get a little more support for their presence overseas. They are away from their families, living in a foreign land and watching their friends, enemies and innocence die.

Maybe if we showed them a little support, they would care more about what we thought. Maybe if we rallied around them, they would not feel so discarded, so demoralized.

And maybe, if we actually showed we care, those bad apples would want to keep our respect and not abuse prisoners of war.

And maybe I'm living in a Hollywood fantasy.

Judith McDaniel is a junior journalism major from Oak Grove and serves as a news editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to jpm022@latech.edu.