Desmond Tutu and other Nobel Prize Winners Want NBC to Cancel 'Stars Earn Stripes'

There is an ongoing debate centering around NBC's new show, Stars Earn Stripes. Having debuted last week, the reality competition show pairs up celebrities such as one-time superman Dean Cain with real life military heroes, including one who claims to be from the super secret, supposedly non-existent Delta Force. Together, the teams take on missions that are said to be true to life, situations that military members face on a regular basis.

Early on I thought it might be interesting. Then I heard that one of the competitors was going to be Todd Palin. Frankly, I am sick of the Palins, all of them, and just want them to fade away from the American landscape. I was not sure if I would tune it in.

Then I heard that respected real life General Wesley Clark was attached to this show. That shocked me. Just his presence gives the show a certain validity.

However, from the get go, people have expressed concerns about this program promoting war. Today, nine Nobel Peace Prize Laureates wrote an open letter to NBC asking the network to withdrawal the show, putting forth that it was glorifying war. Among the signers was Desmond Tutu.

Having watched the first show, there was actually only one thing that bothered me. In their introduction, one of the military elite boasted of his kill count. Yes, that is war, but that was disturbing, that he felt so detached from those he had killed that he would say with pride that he was the best. He would be reason in my mind for NBC to pull the plug. Conversely, contestant Laila Ali asked her military pro if he had ever killed a man. His response was that he did not like to talk about that. He is the one I respect, not the kill leader.

Should NBC pull the show? I do not know, but I agree there is concern in a world that is already too violent and getting worse every day.