If You're Not Outraged...
This has rendered me nearly speechless. How would one go about finding - and punishing - the people responsible for this?Truly, I cannot begin to adequately express how visceral my reaction to this is. I am ashamed, yet again, to be an American.
And we wonder why the world hates us....
posted by Mrs. Chili at 2:47 PM
6 Comments:
Unfortunately, I can't see what outraged you. Ever since I "upgraded" to Firefox 2, Flash Player was crashing, and causing all kinds of problems, so I dumped it. Now I can't read a lot of media. Changing to FF2 also caused, or was conincident with, the counter disappearing from my blog.
So, I'd like to know what outraged you so. By the way, I tried to send you an email about photography after your lavish praise, but it bounced. Probably my fault, but I'd like to get the message to you.
This REALLY outraged me. Just plain mean-spirited American miltary. I bet they are the ones that act all holier-than-thou on Sundays too.
A friend of mine wrote me privately to, well, chastise me a bit for my "ashamed to be an American" comment. He pointed out that we don't have a corner on the market for stupidity or cruelty and, of course, he's right. My response to him, though, was that we're supposed to be in Iraq as the Great Liberators, the ones who were going to free the poor, oppressed people from tyranny. It seems to me that behaviour like this is doing nothing more than teaching a new generation of Iraqi men to hate us.
I object to this on so many levels, though. It's nothing more than immature bully behaviour - we're stronger, bigger, and faster than you, and we have all the resources. Because of that, we can manipulate you for our own amusement. I'm guessing that this tactic is not really going to further the cause of justice and democracy that so many have already given their lives for. That's the other bit that upsets me about this: how does taunting children honor the memory and sacrifice of those who've died in this war? How does it make their deaths meaningful (if such a thing is even possible)?
There's just nothing good about it.
I think the "ashamed to be an American" comment is a rub for some of us who are proud to be Americans,but are ashamed of some of the decisions and actions that are being made and executed in our name. War is ugly. It will bring out the worst in many who find themselves in what probably feels like an untenable situation.(This is NOT making excuses for them) There are many acts of kindness,as well, happening over there. Unfortunately,we only focus on the negative and cruel. Had these people embraced peace and gotten their shit together,the song might be different.
Obviously, it is terrible for the world to see Americans acting like yahoos, especially if it is cruel-appearing yahooism. On the other hand, we are a nation of yahoos (sure, I better explain: there is a strong tradition of anti-intellectualism in our nation, a tradition fondly espoused by the present government, and that's where my comment comes from). What bothers me more is our militaristic national trait. When something doesn't please us, let's send in the troops! (Don't forget the B-52's).
I am no more "proud" of being an American than of being white, right-handed, or near-sighted. If one wants to feel proud, sez me, be proud of accomplishing something, be proud of being kind, be proud of those you know (and those you see at a distance) who do such things. Things that are a given, a fixed fact of the world, are nothing to be proud of. Neither do I feel ashamed when Americans act like jerks--we have no corner on it.
All this doesn't mean I dismiss your sense of outrage, of course.
Not to nitpick Chili but what is the next generation of Iraqi women learning?
I actually couldn't watch through to the end because it was making me sad but I did expect to see the soldiers throw water at/to the kids and to have beaned a couple of kids and left them to fight it out over the water. Don't know what kind of pride that gives me.
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