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Interview: 'Ground Truth' director Patricia Foulkrod

Posted by David DeGraw at 11:30 AM on September 17, 2006.


Patricia Foulkrod discusses her powerful new documentary about the difficulities US soldiers face when returning home from war.
Interview: 'Ground Truth' director Patricia Foulkrod

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In this video interview, GROUND TRUTH director Patricia Foulkroud expresses her frustration over the American public's apathetic attitude toward the war in Iraq. She says her reason for making the film was to try to show what it's like to be at war and to say "we're in it" and then ask, "Do you care?"

Foulkroud states:

"People always ask me, 'Why did you make THE GROUND TRUTH?' And my answer is: 'How could I not?'"

About the film:

Hailed as "powerful" and "quietly unflinching," THE GROUND TRUTH stunned filmgoers at the 2006 Sundance and Nantucket Film Festivals. The subjects of Patricia Foulkrod's searing documentary feature are patriotic young Americans - ordinary men and women who heeded the call for military service in Iraq. The terrible conflict in Iraq, depicted with ferocious honesty in the film, is a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home - with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government. As these battles take shape, each soldier becomes a new kind of hero, bearing witness and giving support to other veterans, and learning to fearlessly wield the most powerful weapon of all - the truth.

From October 4TH - 11TH, Join 1000's Of Americans as we gather across our country in churches, universities, community centers, town halls, coffee houses and living rooms to screen "THE GROUND TRUTH," engage in conversation, and listen to IRAQ VETERANS. Host a "GROUND TRUTH GATHERING" October 4th - 11th, the 4-year anniversary of the Congressional authorization of "Use of force against Iraq."

To get involved CLICK HERE

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David DeGraw is AlterNet's video blogger.


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A Tragic Time In History
Posted by: lively56 on Sep 18, 2006 5:53 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It is so tragic that these young men and women have to endure this for the rest of their lives, all for a bunch of evil bastards that are running this country. Everytime I hear one of these young soldier's horror stories, I can't help but cry. It's such a waste of precious lives.

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What Kind of People Have We Become?
Posted by: NoPCZone on Sep 18, 2006 6:05 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In the Interview, Ms Foulkrod contrasts WWII with the Iraq War, the sequel. She comments, correctly, about the shared sacrifice and sense of purpose then versus the normalcy of the home front today. She also questions whether the American People chose to go to war. The very fact that these questions have to be asked this late in the game tells us something very disturbing about the state of our democracy, and it's not encouraging.

We have become a society that is not egalitarian in it's nature, intent or purpose. We are, in fact, increasingly a stratified society rapidly developing a caste system. This war is being fought largely by the underclass, being paid for by the middle class and profited from by the wealthiest few percent of families in our nation.

The super wealthy have always been able to isolate themselves and the upper middle class are increasingly able to via private schools and gated communities. The working class, who think of themselves as middle class, have been duped by the Neocons and Jesus Camp crowd into doing the bidding of the top 2-5% (estate tax breaks, etc). It's these people and the poor kids from the projects and trailer parks of our nation that are getting blown up for BushCo & Cronies.

What is so disconcerting is that most people know this and few seem to mind or care.

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Stop the Maddness
Posted by: ccluelessfl60 on Sep 18, 2006 7:29 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Remember people We were not going to let this happen again.We have been down this road before and somehow we are supposed to go along with the craven grasp for power.Shame on us while our neighbors and dying and bleeding in the streets of Iraq. If you were a war supporter and now find it distastefull Admit it and demand we bring everyone home and stop this maddness.We must all make sure when the soliders do get home our Goverment is not allowed to abandon them.That seems to be the plan. Make your representative fearful if they do not do the right thing by these brave men and women.But demand they come home first.We can deal with the lying war criminals latter.Lets take our country back!

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Lets Contrast Two Women, Annie No Fannie Coulter & Patricia Foulkrod
Posted by: davidt on Sep 19, 2006 12:22 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I saw the first copy of The Ground Truth about a year ago and I have had correspondence with Patricia in BEVERLY HILLS telling me about the final version which is NOW being lauded. Her first video was a just-the-fact-ma'am kind of movie but it was unrelenting about one thing--Letting the veterans talk.

Patricia has a very good friend whose name is Cher, someone who got pissed off enough to go on C-SPAN anonymously to sound off about the veterans she went to see at Walter Reed. A place that doesn't get mentioned on CNN, FOX, the Three Stooge Networks or Rush Limpballs Show. Hey, but they are all PATRIOTS right? Or is it chickenhawks?

Patricia made the movie using up her savings until she got a little notice. I still do not know if she received any help with the final version.

Now I am sure that Annie No-Fannie will get Patricia in her sights and condemn this Cowardly Liberal Bush-hating Scumbucket for spreading lies about our veterans in uniform if The Ground Truth gets any traction among Americans.

The sad thing about this country right now is that the Hissing Water Moccasin will get a national platform while screeching that she NEVER does, while Patricia will be SLANDERED without the benefit of rebuttal.

Annie No-Fannie has been proven a liar, plagiarist & fantasist who has regular sit-downs with the SILENT GOP strategist Grover Norquist and their CULT (this includes Drudge & the Scaife-Coors "think tank-ocracy) on what the talking points of the week are going to be. She is ALWAYS condeming elitist northeast liberals, she is from CONNECTICUT. while he has NEVER been SEEN wearing a uniform, visiting Walter Reed, been on a USO tour, visiting a 9/11 victim--although she CONDEMNED the Jersey Girls as PROFITEERS!!

NOW I THINK IT IS TIME AMERICANS ASKED THIS QUESTION:

WHY DOES ANYONE LISTEN TO THIS PILE OF STEAMING FECES? DO WE LIKE A REGULAR WHIFF OF RAW SEWAGE TO ROUND OUT OUR LIVES?

Yet, Good Christian Annie No-Fannie can pass judgement on any one she wants to and screech incessant VICTIMHOOD every time she gets on her lapdog network screamfests.

I think it is time we started liestening to folks like Patricia Foulkrod sent Annie No Fannie to Baghdad so she can begin the CONVERSION of 5 billion Muslims to her so-cherished Christianity.

By the way, have we ever seen Annie No Fannie in a CHURCH?

Thank you Patricia, on behalf of thousands of veterans everywhere.

David T. Gray, SSGT, USAF, 67-71
Claremont, NH

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