Reconciliation
Sometimes I am forwarded emails of a political nature. Recently I got one about US soldiers in Iraq. Perhaps you've seen it? The images all have clever little captions underneath, sarcastic in nature. Is this so I feel shame in not supporting our troops in this war? I've put them side by side with other images that have stuck with me over the years, complete with their captions as well.
The problem is, how many acts of humanity are needed to erase our barbarism in Iraq? Is it a number you can quantify? So 4 million hugs by American soldiers to Iraqi children = death of an Iraqi child by the hands of Americans?
How do I reconcile these images?
Soldiers Force Children to See Saw Until They Give Up Information! vs An Iraqi child killed by US bombing
Child Bites Soldier in Self Defense vs An Iraqi prisoner of war tries to calm down his child
Soldier Forces Child to Hang By Fingertips - Just for Fun vs Ali Abbas lost his parents, fourteen family members and his arms after a US missile attack.
The problem is, how many acts of humanity are needed to erase our barbarism in Iraq? Is it a number you can quantify? So 4 million hugs by American soldiers to Iraqi children = death of an Iraqi child by the hands of Americans?
How do I reconcile these images?
Soldiers Force Children to See Saw Until They Give Up Information! vs An Iraqi child killed by US bombing
Child Bites Soldier in Self Defense vs An Iraqi prisoner of war tries to calm down his child
.
Soldiers Lack Body Armor; Forced to Use Childen as Shields vs US soldier holding a dying child
Soldiers Vent Anger by Throwing Children Around vs Victims of US air-strike, Balad, March 2006
Rations Shortage; Soldiers Begin Eating Children vs 20-month old Iraqi baby girl, named Shams (means "Sun" in Arabic). Victim of car bomb in Sadr City, Baghdad. Her mother was killed in the attack.
Children Thankful Soldiers Didn't Open Fire On Soccer Game vs Manadel al-Jamadi was killed in Abu Ghraib while being interrogated. His son and wife pose in this picture with a photograph of their dead father with Spc. Sabrina Harman giving the "thumbs up".
The Tickle Torture is Unbearable vs A son receives a flag instead of his father.
The Tickle Torture is Unbearable vs A son receives a flag instead of his father.Soldiers Force Children to Do Their Dirty Work vs She's four years old. The blood is that of her parents. They made the mistake of driving at night when our "liberation forces" were out and about
Soldier Forces Child to Hang By Fingertips - Just for Fun vs Ali Abbas lost his parents, fourteen family members and his arms after a US missile attack.
Maybe its my fault for not finding enough Family Circus moments.
~Lila Schow
Because Responsible Citizens Clean Up After Their Government
Labels: Bush, good times had by all, iraq, war, war on "terror"
posted by Lila Schow at
2:17 PM
11 Comments:
You do know you're using Michael Yon's photo without permission, right? He's sued people for using it.
Thanks for the heads up!
your "tickle, see saw pictures are unconvincing". Children seem to be holding genuine smiles and that doesnt seem like torture. neither does the "throwing children to let out frusteration". The soldier is playing with the baby not throwing the baby. GET IT TOGETHER!!And use your own photos too!
Really, you support everything our troops do - good and bad? Good for you. But I'm proud to be an American where we hold ourselves to a higher standard. I refuse to stand by silently while people commit torture, rape and murder in the name of my freedom! This is a democracy and I do have a say in how I'm represented. Regardless of the photos, you have missed the point! It's not all sunshine and smiles in Iraq as a result of our occupation. They didn't want us to invade their country, they don't want us occupying their country, and it's time for us to abide by their soverign wishes and leave.
Lila and I do understand the tragedies of war and that is why we continue to fight against it! It's a lose-lose situation for everyone involved! The US has not worked to liberate the oppressed since WWII, they've worked to liberate a free market economy.
Stop the personal attacks and fight ideas with ideas. It's within these great dialogues that great ideas are liberated, so keep commenting Anon!
Lila Schow has a catchy tag, Logo: "Please clean up after your Prez".
Lila, you forgot to say which President.I believe this one didn´t make the mess and is trying to clean up.But as it is even in day-to-day living, it takes longer to fix it than to break it.Give the guy some time and keep YOUR doorstep clean.
Lila Schow,after which President? This one signed on to clean up though he didn´t make the mess.Give the guy some time.You know,it´s like in all other aspects of live-it takes longer to fix it than to break it.So maybe you want to change your sign to read: Clean up WITH your President, I´m sure he´d appreciate some hands on help.
Lila+Jodie,you´re right,war IS a mess + how it came about is of no interest to the dead,wounded,orphaned and widowed.Not all soldiers are heroes+not all soldiers are criminal monsters,some are just trying to do the best they can under the given circumstances.Though I am against violence I must say even a pacifist cannot live in peace if his neighbor won´t let him.And that´s for both sides.True liberation MUST come from within.In the meantime what can WE,what can YOU do?Practise humane humanity,be neighborly even if your neighbor is strange,different.He´s only strange `cause you don´t know him/her and the difference is only superficial.He/she has the same needs as you and I,physical,mental,social.We are not in the position to make that much difference on the grand scale of politics,but we can maybe make a difference in OUR neighborhood-on how we are perceived by those others and how they could/should be treated by us who are at home while they may be feeling lost.Make them feel welcome,make them feel at home.A friend of mine used to say:Kill them with kindness.And please don´t interpret it sarcastic.I have found that the best way to overcome suspition and anymosity.
Though the many deaths of children are sad, and I feel horrible having to look at them. This is war, and there are casualties in war. A less dead children than there would have been without the war.
I would like to point this out:http://www.infowars.com/articles/iraq/us_troops_kill_parents_in_front_of_kids.htm
That is the little girl with her parent's blood on her hands. If someone with a gun is telling you to stop...don't you think you should stop?
Jodie: I agree with you 100% with the exception of one point- the US forces in WWII, excellent job as they did in regards to D-Day, and such still didn't do enough in that department.
They were isolationists since the 1930's which lead to a lot of things that could have been prevented, such as a lot of the causalities in relation to the Holocaust. There was a bill that was supposed to allow the emigration of 20,000 Jewish children from Germany and Austria but it died in the Senate because they didn't want foreigners coming in at the time.
To be honest, any kind of war makes me fucking sick. I believe you can still be a patriotic American and 100% agree with our policies in regards to Iraq. You can love your country and still disagree with what they do- doesn't make you less patriotic than anyone else.
*not agree 100%
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