Elections are a week away, and a many people have the war in Iraq at the forefront of their minds. Including Alex Cheatham.

Cheatham is a Tahlequah resident, electrician and contractor. He came across a documentary, “Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers,” and found the information so compelling he wanted to share it with his neighbors.

The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Tahlequah provided a venue for screening the film Sunday evening. The film was produced and directed by Robert Greenwald (”Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, Outfoxed and Uncovered”) and distributed by Brave New Films as a non-profit community service. According to the Web site www.iraqforsale.org, the film takes viewers inside the lives of soldiers, truck drivers, widows and children whose lives have been changed as a result of profiteering in the Iraq reconstruction.

The film opens by stating the second-largest armed force in Iraq is private security, with more than 20,000 individuals participating. The first demonstration was evidenced by highlighting the function of Blackwater in Iraq. Blackwater is one of the largest and most conspicuous security firms in Iraq, with 300 employees. It’s staffed largely by retired U.S. military, including former members of the special forces.

On April 13, 2004, four Blackwater employees were burned, mutilated and hung from a bridge in Iraq. “Scotty” Scott Helventson went to Iraq to work for Blackwater to provide security for Paul Bremer, and to earn money for his family. He was one of the four killed in the attack at Fallujah.

“He didn’t go over there to hurt anyone; he was there to protect people,” said Katy Helvenston-Wettengel, Scott’s mother. “He chose Blackwater because they offered a two-month contract, and didn’t want to be away from his children very long. But he needed to make some money.”

Helvenston-Wettengel couldn’t understand why her son hadn’t been protected by the company.

“The most dangerous setting on earth,” she said. “No rear gunner, no armored vehicles, not even a map. That, to me, is negligent homicide.”

Another victim was Jerry Zovko, whose family is also struggling to understand the lack of concern demonstrated by Blackwater.

“What happened to them while they were with this company – a company, not the American military, had responsibilities that they didn’t live up to,” said Tom Zovko, brother of Jerry Zovko.

Chris Lehane, a crisis communications expert, commented on how important it is to a company to provide crisis management during a situation.

“This was a situation that was the in front page of the news, that was leading the various network broadcasts for several days, and how that company manages that challenge will really dictate the future of that company,” said Lehane.

According to the film, within the first 24 hours following the incident, Blackwater hired a Washington, D.C. lobbying firm to negotiate with politicians. Blacwater’s own CEO, Gary Jackson, had strong ties to conservative movement, and the Christian Coalition. In addition, Jackson contributed more than $2 million to Republican candidates and the party in previous elections. The lobbyists met with Sen. John Warner, R.-Va., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; and Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate GOP Conference. The investigation into the event in Fallujah was stopped.

“And [Blackwater] saved its business,” said Lehane.

Key figures in the Blackwater organization include Cofer Black, former coordinator, counterterrorism, U.S. State Department; Chris Taylor, staff sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps; and Joseph Schmitz, former Pentagon inspector general.