Wartorn: 1861-2010 |

On Thursday, November 11th, DCTV premieres its newest HBO documentary, "Wartorn: 1861-2010". This critical, compassionate film examines PTSD in war veterans throughout history, and is fittingly premiering on Veteran's Day 2010. Directors Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, as well as their collaborator Ellen Goosenberg Kent, have made an effective, moving portrait of this devastating issue, and we're very proud of their work.

Jon Alpert co-founded DCTV in 1972, and for many decades since then he has been reporting on the front lines of wars, bringing attention to how these wars affect soldiers. Jon's work on this issue is part of the reason why DCTV started the Beyond Bullets campaign. After years of working on this issue overseas, he decided that it was time to dedicate DCTV resources to the war here at home: urban gun violence. He was inspired by Terrence Fisher and Daniel Howard, the young filmmakers behind "Bullets in the Hood", and took to the streets with their film.

War veterans and teenagers who have been affected by gun violence have more in common than one might think. In fact, theories exist which trace the beginning of urban gang culture to the return of Vietnam Vets, who were traumatized and had no recourse in the United States. These fathers, who were absent not necessarily by choice but because they couldn't sustain a normal life after the war, started raising their children in violent environments with a surplus of weapons around. Hence, their kids started acting out on the streets, playing with guns, vying for attention and fighting with one another.

Whether or not these theories are true, it is hard to deny that teenagers who have been affected by gun violence, either personally or peripherally, experience some type of post-traumatic stress. They are witnessing acts of violence in their communities, losing friends and family members to violence, hearing gunshots on their streets day and night and being surrounded by guns.

Our nation's teenagers have no business being at war with one another. And the severity of this issue should not be ignored by our leaders, whether it's PTSD in war veterans or New York City teens.

If you have HBO, tune in on Thursday at 9:00PM (EST) to watch this harrowing, thought-provoking film by DCTV's own Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill. Watch the trailer.