http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/06/14/first-lady-urges-hollywood-to-tell-military-family-stories/The entertainment industry can help to shine the light on military families by incorporating their compelling stories into movies and television, First Lady Michelle Obama said yesterday during a panel discussion hosted by the entertainment guilds in Los Angeles.
Speaking to an audience of about 500 producers, writers, actors and directors, the first lady discussed her “Joining Forces” military-support campaign and how Hollywood can play a role in her quest to stir up national support for military families.
Writer-director J.J. Abrams, who moderated the panel, kicked off the discussion by asking Obama what sparked her passion for military family support.
The first lady traced it back to her time on the campaign trail with her husband. As she met in small groups with working women, she heard voices she hadn’t heard from before – military spouses. These women — and men — talked about juggling careers and deployments, raising kids and managing moves, and dealing with finances alongside post-deployment reconnections.
“These stories took my breath away,” she said, “because they were so unfamiliar to me. And I thought, ‘Well, if I don’t know, and I’m educated and I consider myself aware, then where are we in this country? Why don’t we know about these families? Why don’t we know their struggles? Why aren’t we pushing for them?”
Obama said she vowed, if her husband got elected, to use her platform to give military families a voice, “because truly, these families are amazing.”
Military families also are strong, she noted, but because of this strength that’s so integral to military life, they often don’t complain or reach out for support.
“That’s one of the reasons we don’t know about them,” she said. “They count on each other, and they don’t ask for help. Well, they shouldn’t have to ask for help.”
In a year’s time, the first lady said, she’d like see a nation where military families know their sacrifices are understood and appreciated, and that everyone, including the entertainment industry, can step up and help.
“It can be telling a story on the big screen, on the small screen, or it can be helping a neighbor mow their lawn,” she said. People can volunteer to babysit for an afternoon, cook a meal, offer to fix a heater, or reach out to a reserve family living away from the support of a military installation, she added.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
