War is blinding, so harrowing that people pretend it does not exist.

Why do people hide from the truth of war? Pain. The stabbing, sharp, awful feeling that accompanies the effects of war make it much easier to turn away from war rather than face it. The soldiers have no choice but to immerse their bodies, thoughts, feelings and senses on the war that envelops them. They see the blood, sense the violence, taste the sorrow, hear the screams of dying, smell the rotting bodies, and feel pain as their hearts rip straight through their chests. While the soldiers swim in war, their loved ones back at home only have a patriotic, wholesome image of war embedded in their minds. The pride they feel toward red, white, and blue blinds them from the darkness surrounding their loved ones and those that protect them everyday. The lack of knowing the pure truth that occurs at war, overpowers the pain associated with full war disclosure. Standing knee deep in blood and bones is merely a metaphor for the horror that surrounds the world during times of war. The blindfold is tied so tightly that not a single glimpse of reality is allowed to trickle beneath it. The reality of war is just beyond the blindfold, but it is unthinkable to take it off, allowing the truth to reach our eyes.

Why does one allow his or herself to become ignorant toward the validity of war? How is masking the truth a way of discarding the pain? Pain is not truly discarded, but full disclosure would be so harrowing that blinding oneself is considered the only feasible option.

"My Country Right or Wrong." Cliff Joseph 1968 Oil on Canvas