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HW35 An Open Letter to Riverbend
By pianofanatic | April 5, 2008
Dear Riverbend,
As I read your blog posts from August 19 through the 30, 2003, it made me think of other such events that have happened. You recounted the unnecessary deaths of children and teens and people simply trying to make a living. You mentioned how a group of 12 and 15 year olds were killed while out collecting wood and it immediately made me think of my 15 year old sister and how devastated I would be to loose her. Your blogs made me also think of other timely events such as the Holocaust, where atrocities you see each day existed every day as, if not worse then what is happening today. I then thought of the destruction of the world trade towers and the great depression here in America. All these events seem more similar then I thought before. During the Holocaust the Jews were made out to be filth, not even human enough to deserve life. They were murdered just as those girls were murdered while collecting wood. Harmless, they did not pose a threat, yet their lives were taken just as if they had. You describe the ways in which you believe Americans view Iraqis as uncivilized people who walk on dirt roads and learn to count sheep and bake bread. In fact, you prove that Iraqis are just as civilized a people as anyone else with computers, televisions, air-conditioning and a highly advanced communications system along with much else. When the world trade towers collapsed America thought they would never see a darker day, and yes it was a tragic event that lost thousands of people their lives and yet it measures up to other such events in history. The Great Depression seemed most fitting since you describe your dilemma at loosing your job. As you mention the money and effort it will take to re-build Iraq I quite agree that bringing in foreign architects and engineers would not make any sense. During the Great Depression people who were unemployed landed jobs building bridges, railroads and other such things, I agree that the same should be done in Iraq. I found your description of life before the second Iraq war most interesting. Your explanation of how women held about 50% of the work force and how you were paid fairly for your hard work as a computer “geek.” Your description of typical Iraqis, how many, many of them own cars, television sets, VCRs makes it seem like it is easier than ever to be world cultured and educated. You were schooled abroad and are now bi-lingual and thus challenge the stereotype that Iraqis have here in America. I admire how open-minded you seem to be about how the American troops must feel, and yet you also don’t hesitate to describe your anger towards them at times as well.
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