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“From Mills River to Babylon and Back” with Filmmaker Joe Stillman and IVAW co-founder Jimmy Massey
June 6, 2009 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
The Sanctuary for Independent Media and Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace welcome filmmaker Joe Stillman and Iraq Veterans Against the War co-founder Jimmy Massey for a screening of the new documentary, From Mills River to Babylon and Back… The Jimmy Massey Story. This film chronicles the life of former Staff Sergeant Jimmy Massey and examines the political, legal, moral, and human rights implications of the war. Massey, a 12-year Marine veteran, served in Iraq in 2003. He witnessed and in some cases participated in the killing of innocent civilians. The Iraqis were just doing their normal routines he says, and they were getting blasted for it. He began to speak out to his superiors and was eventually diagnosed with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. He won an honorable discharge in December 2003.
This film chronicles the life of Jimmy Massey and examines the political, legal, moral, and human rights implications of the war. It was shot in fourteen different states from 2005-2009.
The documentary features Martin Sheen (actor/human rights activist), Ramsey Clark (former U.S. Attorney General), Cindy Sheehan (founder of the Gold Star Families), Congressman Dennis Kucinich , Father Roy Bourgeois (founder of the School of the Americas Watch), former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, Kelley Dougherty (Executive Director of Iraq Veterans Against the War), Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, Dr. Ed Tick (post-traumatic stress disorder expert), and Congresswoman Maxine Waters.
The film shows Jimmy’s early life and the tragic death of his father, his decision to enlist in the marines due to economic conscript, illicit recruiting tactics that target single parent families by recruiters (Massey was a Marine recruiter), weapons of mass deception, depleted uranium use and its effects on soldiers and civilians, the administration’s rush to war and taking back our democracy are some of the topics which are discussed in the documentary.
“Jimmy Massey has paid an incredible price to tell the truth about the real war in Iraq but he would do it again in a heartbeat. I believe it’s particularly important for parents and young people especially, to understand the tactics military recruiters will use to fill their quotas at the expense of the youth in our communities. This project has opened my eyes to many of the facts that Jimmy has raised and the tragedy of an ongoing war that didn’t have to be fought. I sadly learned, for instance, that the U.S. has dropped massive amounts of depleted uranium, used in ammunition and bombs, in Iraq and Afghanistan since the first Gulf War and that it is presently having disastrous effects on our returning military personnel and especially on the civilian populations in those countries. This documentary offers a critical perspective by a veteran which helps the world understand the real implications of what our soldiers are up against in Iraq and Afghanistan and how those conflicts have affected innocent civilians.” – Joseph C. Stillman Producer/Director
We are committed to lowering the barriers to access for events at The Sanctuary for Independent Media. For people who are hard of hearing or deaf, blind or low-vision, or whose physical limitations can interfere with a satisfying experience, let us know two weeks in advance so we can make appropriate arrangements.
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