Sunday, January 30, 2005
If it seems too good to be true . . .
We have heard such wonderful stories. Ancient old Iraqi grannies carried to the polls in wheel barrels so they can vote. Families bringing the little children so they can witness this monumental event. People came to the polls in their Sunday Best. President Bush said the Iraqis "have taken rightful control of their country's destiny." 72 percent of the 14.2 million registered voted to choose this National Assembly that will write a constitution and choose a president. Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera.
Whoa, Nellie. Hold on there for just a wee minute, please. My momma loved all people, especially people with different cultures. She had the heart of an artist and she loved all colors -- vivid, pastel, and any hue between. She believed all people are the same in their souls. And that is what she taught me.
I know in my heart that if in 1968 the Russians had invaded the U.S. to stop our weapons of mass destruction and to save the blacks from ethnic cleansing by KKK John Birchers, and the hippies from inhumane treatment by rednecks, I would have been an insurgent. I would have fought to the last breath to keep my country my country. It gets my dander up just getting unsolicited "advice" from people. I can't imagine having my world taken over against my will. I didn't think I would survive 25 hours of our little Midwest blackout in 2003. Going without regular water and electricity and air and heat for as long as these brave Iraqis have endured would be a total breakdown of civilization in my neighborhood. What these families have survived thus far humbles me.
I am suspect of the 72 percent voting record. If true, perhaps it can be explained by what the Christian Science Monitor and some of the Iraqi bloggers themselves have said there seems to be an understanding that food ration cards will only be renewed for those who vote. True or not, intentional or not, if it is what the people were told, it was not a free election. It was not a democratic election. And I'm certainly not convinced our form of democracy is such a model of perfection by which their democracy should be imitated in the first place.
We have heard such wonderful stories. Ancient old Iraqi grannies carried to the polls in wheel barrels so they can vote. Families bringing the little children so they can witness this monumental event. People came to the polls in their Sunday Best. President Bush said the Iraqis "have taken rightful control of their country's destiny." 72 percent of the 14.2 million registered voted to choose this National Assembly that will write a constitution and choose a president. Et cetera, Et cetera, Et cetera.
Whoa, Nellie. Hold on there for just a wee minute, please. My momma loved all people, especially people with different cultures. She had the heart of an artist and she loved all colors -- vivid, pastel, and any hue between. She believed all people are the same in their souls. And that is what she taught me.
I know in my heart that if in 1968 the Russians had invaded the U.S. to stop our weapons of mass destruction and to save the blacks from ethnic cleansing by KKK John Birchers, and the hippies from inhumane treatment by rednecks, I would have been an insurgent. I would have fought to the last breath to keep my country my country. It gets my dander up just getting unsolicited "advice" from people. I can't imagine having my world taken over against my will. I didn't think I would survive 25 hours of our little Midwest blackout in 2003. Going without regular water and electricity and air and heat for as long as these brave Iraqis have endured would be a total breakdown of civilization in my neighborhood. What these families have survived thus far humbles me.
I am suspect of the 72 percent voting record. If true, perhaps it can be explained by what the Christian Science Monitor and some of the Iraqi bloggers themselves have said there seems to be an understanding that food ration cards will only be renewed for those who vote. True or not, intentional or not, if it is what the people were told, it was not a free election. It was not a democratic election. And I'm certainly not convinced our form of democracy is such a model of perfection by which their democracy should be imitated in the first place.
