Kansas City News Blog

Ranjit Arab had already read a story in the Lawrence Journal-World about Mike Sanger when he saw news footage of the Iraq war veteran returning his medals to Congressman Dennis Moore's office. He'd never met the guy, but the media portrayal of the anti-war activist rubbed Arab, pursuing a master's degree in journalism at the University of Kansas, the wrong way. With an award-winning documentary already on his resume, Arab decided to set the record straight himself by doing Sanger's story justice. Yesterday, he debuted the result.

I had two reasons to go to the initial screening of Arab's new, short documentary. A few years ago, he put together a great film about the controversial issue of in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants in Kansas. It featured footage and interviews with Kris Kobach, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City who I was profiling at the time. The way Arab captured the cell-phone-distracted Kobach, easily tripped up on the simple facts of the issue, was engaging (not to mention, entertaining) stuff.

I also had the chance to meet the subject of Arab's latest piece, Mike Sanger. The Lawrence resident spent a year in Fallujah and Baghdad as a member of the National Guard before the bungled and morally questionable operation prompted him to join Iraq Veterans Against the War when he got home. The morning I met with him in mid-2007, he was on-edge even in the peaceful setting of a Lawrence coffee shop.

Sanger answered questions in a quick-fire cadence, constantly shifting his eyes from the window at his right to the door at the front to the hallway leading to the bathroom. Every few seconds: window, door, hallway, window, door, hallway. He said it was a product of severe post-traumatic stress disorder, and he was having difficulty getting treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs. "One night I woke up at 1 a.m. and saw visions of dead Iraqis in my head," he said. "It was like I'd lost control of my mind. I was scared I was going to cause harm to my family."

After our meeting, Sanger organized protests in Lawrence and at the Overland Park office of U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback. He also showed up at appearances by Congressman Dennis Moore, attempting to get the politician's assistance with his VA complaints. By October, Sanger was so frustrated he strode into Moore's office and clattered all his medals on the front desk, saying he wanted to return his commendations in protest of the illegal occupation of Iraq.

The footage of that event led to Arab's latest film project.

"The inspiration behind it was having seen the TV news clips and feeling there's a great deal more to the story," he said at his screening this week. Just like the stories about immigrants in Kansas, Sanger's story had far more nuance and background than the sensational coverage on the 6 o'clock news. "I thought he deserved more respect than the media circus of returning the medals." Arab said.

In Baghdad, Kansas, Arab interviews Sanger about the personal impacts of his service in Iraq. He talks to Sanger's wife, Danielle, who worries sometimes that her husband's political involvement dredges up fierce emotions that make it more difficult to lead a normal life. By the end of the piece, Sanger is almost philosophical, suggesting those who are scarred by society's misdeeds are the ones most compelled to change the reality. 

"Hopefully, it's something local news stations can look at as a model for a profile about one person in the community," Arab suggested.

Yesterday's screening wasn't the finished version, but it impressed the crowd of students and professors. Arab says the final cut should be done by the end of the month. We'll be sure to share it then.