My Lai Massacre Mentality Analysis

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In modern game show media, many contestants are placed into groups to complete an objective. While the objective may vary, the mentality of the contestants stays the same. Their mentality is to win. Examined is the game show Survivor where groups are in competition to complete the objective. This situation provides a platform for social issues and conformity. During the show contestants choose favorites within the selected groups based on personal preference. This personal preference often places the most authority on those who benefit the group more than others. In the hopes of winning, those with the most beneficial characteristics for the group will remain the longest. This concept is vital since and offers perspective to why individuals…show more content…
Kelman reflects on the tragic massacre which occurred in the village of My Lai. This article provides evidence discovered when the issue was brought to court. The evidence includes military testimonies and documents related to the massacre. Kelman notes the conspiracy the United States Army conducted while trying to cover up this offense. The case was not brought to public eye until a year after occurrence. It was found that military officials ordered the massacre, claiming that all innocent civilians would be at the market at the time of attack. Therefore, the entire company was ordered to kill everyone. The authors reflect on the ground troops willingness to commit this act and follow orders, even when their own moral was questioned. “‘I was ordered to go in there and destroy the enemy. That was my job on that day. That was the mission I was given. I did not sit down and think in terms of men, women, and children’” (Kelman 137). The authors reflect on this soldiers experience and question why they would follow so…show more content…
While multiple people had the same level of authority given, they developed a secondary level of authority within the guards. The more authoritarian a guard was, the more the prisoners were abused by that person. The people with more desireable traits as guards assumed more authority. With this authority they began to mistreat the prisoners, prisoners who in real life are just people selected for an experiment like them. “Everyone and everything in the prison was defined by power. To be a guard who did not take advantage of this institutionally sanctioned use of power was to appear weak” (Zimbardo 112). This would also support the notion that people with the more desireable characteristics are the ones with more authority. It is also seen how blindly those with less authority would follow those with more. The My Lai massacre was ordered by those with a high amount of authority and deemed by the Army officials with the proper qualifications. Even though soldiers were ordered to do this they did not question the order, referring to the previous quote used “‘I was ordered to go in there and destroy the enemy. That was my job on that day. That was the mission I was given. I did not sit down and think in terms of men, women, and children’” (Kelman 137). This shows this issue not only occurs in game show media, but also in the military and other aspects of everyday

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