Sacramento State’s Hinde Auditorium featured a free screening of the new documentary from director Robert Greenwald, “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers,” Friday night. The event was presented in conjunction with the Sacramento Progressive Alliance.

The politically-charged documentary followed the families of dead privately-contracted men and women who agreed to go to Iraq and perform military duties for companies such as Halliburton and Blackwater USA. These duties included performing raids, jobs in prison facilities such as the one at Abu Ghraib and providing facility management, such as sanitizing water or washing military clothing to soldiers living in Iraq. According to the film, more than 100,000 of the people in Iraq are employed by private contractors. About 40 cents of every dollar that taxpayers pay to the government goes toward funding contractors.

Throughout the film, many audience members could be heard voicing their opinions about what they were witnessing. One member actually had to leave during the movie. Her crying was audible over the movie.

While the movie showed some very disturbing images of what goes on behind the scenes in the Iraq war, it was, nonetheless, educational to many who attended.

“It was definitely an eye opener,” said freshman Michelle Tran. “I got angry.”

Tran, a student of Paul Burke, a sociology professor and the night’s organizer, was pleased with her professor’s job in organizing the event.

“He’s a great professor,” Tran said. “His classes are a lot like this.”

After the film, the auditorium was opened up to discussion from various people, including Eric Vega, a professor of Chicano Studies, as well as Burke himself.

Before the film was shown, Bill Durston, the Democratic congressional candidate for Alpine, Amador and Calaveras Counties, voiced his opinion on the war and pitched his campaign policy against incumbent Republican nominee Dan Lungren.

Burke was very pleased with the turnout for the event.

“It’s the most successful event we’ve done here,” Burke said.

Burke wanted to stress that it’s up to the people as much as the students to get involved with whatever they deem important, as long as they get involved.

“I’m not going to hide my perspective,” Burke said. “I encourage my students to voice their opinion.”

Josh Staab can be reached at [email protected]