Friday, March 21, 2003

Blogging from there I can’t force myself to watch the televised newscasts. They are too slick and the newscasters seem too enthusiastic about the war. Instead, I’ve been reading the blog and e-mail posts that have been coming out of Iraq. Although Baghdad hasn’t been heard from since the heavy bombing started this afternoon, the posts in the past few days have been very enlightening. From the Iraq Peace Team (most of whom are Americans): ...The kids talked about how hard it had been the day before on Tuesday. That was the last official day of school even though some kids came in on Wednesday. On Tuesday everybody said good-bye to one another. They said it was a really emotional experience. They didn't know whether they were going to see their friends again or how long it might be. (more...) Thank you all for all you are doing to stop the atrocity of this war before more lives are claimed. I don't know how many people died in today's bombing. But it is too late to save them. I don't know how many people have died in wars past. But I know it is too late to save them. I don't know how many people will die in the days coming from this war, but I know it isn't too late to save them. (more...) Here are some of the sites I’ve been monitoring: Salam Pax And for those who doubt that he really is in Baghdad, check here and here. Electronic Iraq Kevin His posting was ‘suspended’ today, he doesn’t say it, but his boss CNN is implied. Luke Hardings posts to the Guardian Thanks Boing Boing, Eszter, and Soap Box Girls who started me reading some of these. Is there a difference? From Heather, who put in words exactly where my horror was at: I've just spent most of my day, as I spend many, but more so today than other days of late, wondering how it is that people can't see past borders and oceans and state lines to just see other people. How seeing these photos today is any less traumatic than seeing the photos on 9/11, or photos from Central America in the 80's or from Vietnam. How this can be justified in anyone's mind. How raging fires can look like peace in Iraq, but like pain and chaos in New York or Watts. It just makes me think of things like 9/11, like El Mozote, like Cambodia; something that victimized us, somewhere we horribly victimized others, somewhere else we had a hand in....but it's all the same, it's all terrorism, and with all of these sorts of horrible scenarios, there were and are people who find these things justifiable and acceptable. 10:06:36 PM    comment []