Today was the get together at my first grader's teacher's house. Many of the parents and children came for an ice cream social to talk about the year and give praise for a wonderful year to the teacher. It was all very uplifting and reassuring to see our teacher opening up her home and making her all the more human in our eyes. Life is good for all of us that can be bothered with such a homey way of living.
One of the parents there was in the army and stationed in the area. I had overheard him saying that he couldn't eat ice cream because he had to fit into his uniform in four weeks. I asked him what uniform, and, seeing his closely cropped hair and straight in-the-eyes look, I asked if he meant his dress blues. The look on his face and affirming nod was all it took to know he was military. I asked him which branch of the service he was in and he proudly admitted he was Army. I asked him if he's been to Iraq and the conversation began. It was almost as if he was relieved to be talking about his service to our country with someone who was genuinely interested.
My first statement to him when I found out he was military was to thank him for his service to our country fighting for people like me to be free. He seemed to feel a little uncomfortable with that and shrugged it off with a quick wave and a "yea..well".
Forging forward, I asked him how things were over there. He seemed at ease discussing what life was like for him in Iraq. As if he was glad to know people wanted to understand from a soldier's standpoint. Other's joined in with questions once they saw he was willing to discuss things. He was very frank and I genuinely got a good picture of his 14 months in Mozul. He had been diligent enough to learn as much as he could about the Middle East and had read a number of books on the history and mindset of those nations and their people before he went. It was important for him to understand them before he even stepped foot over there.
His candor and honesty about the best and worst things in Iraq were so humbling for me to hear from a firsthand participant. I learned many things from him during that conversation. His view of the Iraqis was peppered with stark differences from American's way of living. Mozul has an environment much like Yakima....foothills, green grassy plains, dusty deserts, and less primitive than you would think. He told us they had commandeered one of the hundreds of Saddam's palaces and made the pool into a bunker. How odd it looked with desks lined up in rows at the bottom of the drained pool. Barricades surrounding the perimeter with guards stationed all around. Communication central....and a safe haven from incoming threats.
The soldier talked about the mindset of the people in contrast to American thinking. He explained that the average Iraqi puts religious beliefs first, then family, then government. All decisions in life are based on religion. As a military trainer, he learned firsthand that many of the Iraqis wait to be told what to do, as opposed to thinking for themselves. Independent initiative is unheard of there and those who do are the leaders of their packs. He said you would only come across one or two in the whole camp who would think ahead and not need to have orders screamed at him....as was the adopted method of training these new soldiers. They responded to that better than being allowed to think for themselves. Squash the independence seems to be the norm in the Middle East.
One of the most interesting things he told me was that he learned when you enter into a room of Iraqis gathered together, you must seek out the oldest male in the room and speak only to him, not anyone else. And if you spoke to a woman, you would have to deal with the wrath of men and possibly fight your way out of that situation. He said if we were in Iraq, he could not have a conversation with me, a mere woman, at a gathering like this. In fact, women would be in a separate room as the men. How oppressive for the women, to be treated as a commodity without being honored for the reproductive and mental power we possess and treated as valuable people.
This soldier believed our biggest mistake was coming to their country and fighting and negotiating with the ordinary people. We believed that freeing the people without negotiating with those in power, instead of the oppressed, we would be unleashing their shackles that have kept them from embracing free trade, capitalism, free thinking, standing on their own skills and knowledge and be grateful to us for releasing them from captivity. What happened instead was that we took away their leaders and left them scrambling for someone to believe in....since they did not possess the ability to lead themselves. How can you change a thousand+ years of that way of thinking with military force and deposing a dictator?
This soldier believes with all his heart that if we leave now, the terrorists will come to America and kill us on our own soil. There was no doubt in his mind this would happen. We are so afraid of racially profiling anyone and preoccupied with sending Granny through the Xray machine at the airport in the name of freedom, that we will never be able to stop them from killing us. This is what they do in Israel. Racially profile. Remember all the hijackings during the 70s? Those didn't just mysteriously stop without reason. The Israelis determined who the biggest threat was and examined everyone who fit the profile with a fine tooth comb. Each plane has two armed military soldiers ready to shoot first anyone perceived as a threat on an airplane and ask questions later. There is no one protesting the injustice of it all because the reality is, they are safer when this method is used. They are freer to live their lives and go about their daily business BECAUSE of racial profiling.
So how does this soldier feel the war in Iraq will end? Civil War. We will elect a Democrat for president in 08, there will be a gradual pullout of soldiers from Iraq, the puppets we placed in control will be contested by the rising religious groups in the Middle East and Civil War will become an every day occurence until a power is established and takes over. Sadly, I agree with him. The resignation in his voice drove home the reality that what he was saying was true. He believes it is inevitable. Why WOULDNT I believe him? He's been there. Seen it first hand.
One of my last questions I had for him was the one question I have always had since this began. Why do they hate us so much? His answer left me less than satisfied because it was difficult to believe in my very much American way of living today. He said that most Iraqis have very little access to information about the rest of the world. Many are often recruited at 15 into radical religious groups who interpret Jihaad as an all out war on non-believers.
Before the availability of sophisticated weapons, most Muslims believed that Jihaad meant you do not associate with those who do not believe as you do. No business with them, no meals, no interaction whatsoever. As weapons became more readily available, the leaders realized they could have a direct effect on the day to day life of the non-believer...the infidel..with a show of force. Put into action your heartfelt religious beliefs to drive away any doubts your followers may have about Allah. As an aside, he told me that most of the weapons that are being used against them today came from the French, Germans, and Italians and were MANUFACTURED (as many of them are examined after detonation) AFTER the war began! These weapons are brand new, not leftover from old bunkers and arsenals of Saddam.
The average Iraqi is TOLD about the rest of the world's news from a leader. They cannot and do not read it for themselves on the internet or news stations of other countries. They cannot see that most Americans love their freedom to practice their religions without fear of non-believers killing them for it. They do not know that men and women of this country have learned that hard work and education has freed them to pursue THEIR OWN dreams and work hard to integrate God into every aspect of that life. They don't know that this housewife from the state of Washington has a life that is very satisfying and she is grateful for the freedom she has to choose a wide variety of things in life---how many children I will have, where I will live, what schools my kids will attend, the type of car I will drive, the color of my hair, the meals I will serve my family, the activities my children will participate in, what I will watch on TV and which book I will read, as well as a whole host of other choices I gladly make upon waking every single morning. I drink in and even take for granted the freedoms I have every day of my life....and this war has taught me that there is nothing sweeter or greater than the freedom to think for myself.
I honor the sacrifice this soldier made. I honor his candor and honesty as he was quizzed by this humble yet thoughtful housewife. He has made me expand my thinking and seek more understanding of a senseless, unwinnable war thousands of miles away. I sit here thinking of the 41 year old Iraqi housewife who has to live with the oppression and fear that comes from living in a war torn nation and I weep for her. Wanting with all my being to give her a taste of true freedom....a life without fear....the chance to open up her world and drink in all that it can offer her. To share with her the love of life I hold so dear....the love of the mundane and minute moments that make my world real, unique, and the most valuable and precious things to me. My kids, my family, my choices. True Freedom. Thank you for that, soldier. Thank you.
One of the parents there was in the army and stationed in the area. I had overheard him saying that he couldn't eat ice cream because he had to fit into his uniform in four weeks. I asked him what uniform, and, seeing his closely cropped hair and straight in-the-eyes look, I asked if he meant his dress blues. The look on his face and affirming nod was all it took to know he was military. I asked him which branch of the service he was in and he proudly admitted he was Army. I asked him if he's been to Iraq and the conversation began. It was almost as if he was relieved to be talking about his service to our country with someone who was genuinely interested.
My first statement to him when I found out he was military was to thank him for his service to our country fighting for people like me to be free. He seemed to feel a little uncomfortable with that and shrugged it off with a quick wave and a "yea..well".
Forging forward, I asked him how things were over there. He seemed at ease discussing what life was like for him in Iraq. As if he was glad to know people wanted to understand from a soldier's standpoint. Other's joined in with questions once they saw he was willing to discuss things. He was very frank and I genuinely got a good picture of his 14 months in Mozul. He had been diligent enough to learn as much as he could about the Middle East and had read a number of books on the history and mindset of those nations and their people before he went. It was important for him to understand them before he even stepped foot over there.
His candor and honesty about the best and worst things in Iraq were so humbling for me to hear from a firsthand participant. I learned many things from him during that conversation. His view of the Iraqis was peppered with stark differences from American's way of living. Mozul has an environment much like Yakima....foothills, green grassy plains, dusty deserts, and less primitive than you would think. He told us they had commandeered one of the hundreds of Saddam's palaces and made the pool into a bunker. How odd it looked with desks lined up in rows at the bottom of the drained pool. Barricades surrounding the perimeter with guards stationed all around. Communication central....and a safe haven from incoming threats.
The soldier talked about the mindset of the people in contrast to American thinking. He explained that the average Iraqi puts religious beliefs first, then family, then government. All decisions in life are based on religion. As a military trainer, he learned firsthand that many of the Iraqis wait to be told what to do, as opposed to thinking for themselves. Independent initiative is unheard of there and those who do are the leaders of their packs. He said you would only come across one or two in the whole camp who would think ahead and not need to have orders screamed at him....as was the adopted method of training these new soldiers. They responded to that better than being allowed to think for themselves. Squash the independence seems to be the norm in the Middle East.
One of the most interesting things he told me was that he learned when you enter into a room of Iraqis gathered together, you must seek out the oldest male in the room and speak only to him, not anyone else. And if you spoke to a woman, you would have to deal with the wrath of men and possibly fight your way out of that situation. He said if we were in Iraq, he could not have a conversation with me, a mere woman, at a gathering like this. In fact, women would be in a separate room as the men. How oppressive for the women, to be treated as a commodity without being honored for the reproductive and mental power we possess and treated as valuable people.
This soldier believed our biggest mistake was coming to their country and fighting and negotiating with the ordinary people. We believed that freeing the people without negotiating with those in power, instead of the oppressed, we would be unleashing their shackles that have kept them from embracing free trade, capitalism, free thinking, standing on their own skills and knowledge and be grateful to us for releasing them from captivity. What happened instead was that we took away their leaders and left them scrambling for someone to believe in....since they did not possess the ability to lead themselves. How can you change a thousand+ years of that way of thinking with military force and deposing a dictator?
This soldier believes with all his heart that if we leave now, the terrorists will come to America and kill us on our own soil. There was no doubt in his mind this would happen. We are so afraid of racially profiling anyone and preoccupied with sending Granny through the Xray machine at the airport in the name of freedom, that we will never be able to stop them from killing us. This is what they do in Israel. Racially profile. Remember all the hijackings during the 70s? Those didn't just mysteriously stop without reason. The Israelis determined who the biggest threat was and examined everyone who fit the profile with a fine tooth comb. Each plane has two armed military soldiers ready to shoot first anyone perceived as a threat on an airplane and ask questions later. There is no one protesting the injustice of it all because the reality is, they are safer when this method is used. They are freer to live their lives and go about their daily business BECAUSE of racial profiling.
So how does this soldier feel the war in Iraq will end? Civil War. We will elect a Democrat for president in 08, there will be a gradual pullout of soldiers from Iraq, the puppets we placed in control will be contested by the rising religious groups in the Middle East and Civil War will become an every day occurence until a power is established and takes over. Sadly, I agree with him. The resignation in his voice drove home the reality that what he was saying was true. He believes it is inevitable. Why WOULDNT I believe him? He's been there. Seen it first hand.
One of my last questions I had for him was the one question I have always had since this began. Why do they hate us so much? His answer left me less than satisfied because it was difficult to believe in my very much American way of living today. He said that most Iraqis have very little access to information about the rest of the world. Many are often recruited at 15 into radical religious groups who interpret Jihaad as an all out war on non-believers.
Before the availability of sophisticated weapons, most Muslims believed that Jihaad meant you do not associate with those who do not believe as you do. No business with them, no meals, no interaction whatsoever. As weapons became more readily available, the leaders realized they could have a direct effect on the day to day life of the non-believer...the infidel..with a show of force. Put into action your heartfelt religious beliefs to drive away any doubts your followers may have about Allah. As an aside, he told me that most of the weapons that are being used against them today came from the French, Germans, and Italians and were MANUFACTURED (as many of them are examined after detonation) AFTER the war began! These weapons are brand new, not leftover from old bunkers and arsenals of Saddam.
The average Iraqi is TOLD about the rest of the world's news from a leader. They cannot and do not read it for themselves on the internet or news stations of other countries. They cannot see that most Americans love their freedom to practice their religions without fear of non-believers killing them for it. They do not know that men and women of this country have learned that hard work and education has freed them to pursue THEIR OWN dreams and work hard to integrate God into every aspect of that life. They don't know that this housewife from the state of Washington has a life that is very satisfying and she is grateful for the freedom she has to choose a wide variety of things in life---how many children I will have, where I will live, what schools my kids will attend, the type of car I will drive, the color of my hair, the meals I will serve my family, the activities my children will participate in, what I will watch on TV and which book I will read, as well as a whole host of other choices I gladly make upon waking every single morning. I drink in and even take for granted the freedoms I have every day of my life....and this war has taught me that there is nothing sweeter or greater than the freedom to think for myself.
I honor the sacrifice this soldier made. I honor his candor and honesty as he was quizzed by this humble yet thoughtful housewife. He has made me expand my thinking and seek more understanding of a senseless, unwinnable war thousands of miles away. I sit here thinking of the 41 year old Iraqi housewife who has to live with the oppression and fear that comes from living in a war torn nation and I weep for her. Wanting with all my being to give her a taste of true freedom....a life without fear....the chance to open up her world and drink in all that it can offer her. To share with her the love of life I hold so dear....the love of the mundane and minute moments that make my world real, unique, and the most valuable and precious things to me. My kids, my family, my choices. True Freedom. Thank you for that, soldier. Thank you.
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