Veterans' groups take issue with the way military veterans who are hired as new prison guards disparage the inmates in the women's prison.
- Jul 16, 2016
AceShowbiz - "Orange Is the New Black" offends veterans' groups. Some leading veterans' groups are disturbed by the portrayal of military veterans who are hired as prison guards in the fourth season of Netflix's Emmy-nominated series. The groups take issue with the way the new guards disparage the inmates in the women's prison and the way they talk about their combat experiences.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars calls the show "offensive," Iraq And Afghanistan Veterans Of America says it will further stigmatize veterans, and Disabled American Veterans says the show is out of the touch with the reality of the veteran experience.
Taken for an example, in one scene in the season finale, a guard shows no remorse when he shares his story about killing innocent people in Afghanistan. The guard says after spending so much time chasing bad guys, "you get so mad, tired and bored" that you "just grab a farm kid" and make him juggle live grenades until one blows up.
Dan Clare, the national spokesman for DAV and an Iraq War veteran, says the scene is egregious and just one way veterans are misrepresented. Clare worries that this portrayal will make public have a negative perception of veterans and affect how they're able to transition back into civilian life.
Tahlia Burton, a 27-year-old Air Force veteran, says in an opinion piece that she's a "huge fan" of "OITNB" until she watched the fourth season. She was appalled because veterans are shown as "bloodthirsty, heartless killers and sexists."
Netfllix has not responded to request for comment.
