As an American citizen and college student, I have struggled to remain impartial regarding American war efforts in Iraq. Too many of the views across our campuses today are extremist in nature. Most of the people I have encountered back only one of the two opposing arguments. In my opinion, each case has a rationale for long-term peace.

Unfortunately, my perception of this is altered when USA Today's weekend edition carries a picture of dead Iraqis on the front page. How did we all feel as a country when dead Americans were shown a week prior to this? What purpose does demeaning a human life to the status of news headline serve? Has death in the face of war simply become a tool for selling newspapers?

Our newspapers are paramount to our culture and thus bear the responsibility in many ways of representing us. Throughout the Arab world we as a nation are viewed as the aggressor supporting war death and destruction. Pictures such as these only serve as their evidence of that.

Whether American or Iraqi, sensationalizing victims does not represent what we as a nation espouse to. Our success in this conflict will ultimately come only if our intentions remain freedom for the Iraqi people and long-term peace in the region.

I do believe that is why are troops are there risking their lives. I only hope that the media in the future can take the high road and try and project that what this country fights for is just.