Iraq Comes Home

[dr_mabeuse]

I just found out that the grandfather of my son's best friends was killed by an American bomb in Iraq. My son's friends live across the alley from us, and they're "Assyrian", which is a kind of ethnic euphemism for Iraqi or Iranian Christians. The grandfather visited them a couple of years ago, but I never got to meet him. I saw him outside with their dad a couple of times, exercising their homing pigeons, and he just looked like someone's grandfather. He went back to Iraq because he had a business and family there.

I don't know why I'm telling all of you this. I can't quite understand how I feel about it. I mean, it's terrible enough when soldiers die over there, but then, that's what soldiers do, right? That's the deal you make when you sign up: to put your life on the line.

But this... The chances just seemed so remote. They'd tried to stay in touch with him while the invasion was going on, and it seemed like he came through it okay. He wasn't an insurgent or a militant. He wasn't even a muslim.

It's just such a shock. It's just such a terrible and stupid and wasteful loss.

---dr.M.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

*HUGS*

 

[Somme]

It's just such a terrible and stupid and wasteful loss.

<nods dumbly>

 

[Belegon]

War may be hell, but it is also confusing as all get out. That family will be asking those questions forever. Best wishes to your neighbors Doc, and I hope Grandpa is in a better place.

 

[Kassiana]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[rgraham666]

Sorry to hear about that, dr_m.

It's kind of amazing how close we human beings are. Six degrees of separation and all that.

 

[shereads]

At times like this, I'm so grateful that I'm not a parent. I'd be at an absolute loss to help a child come to terms with this. Having grown up during Vietnam, our generation should have something wise to say to kids about Iraq, and about how it's still possible to love one's country when it's in the wrong. But what? What is there to say?

Your neighbor's grandfather died at the hands of his so-called liberators. It's insane.

You're the bright spot here, Dr. M. That man's children and grandchildren are fortunate to have at least one American neighbor who grieves for their loss and doesn't shrug it off as collateral damage.

 

[Guest]

Mab., that's a very simple story you've told, profound and tragic. Someone's grandfather who took care of pigeons; it's a detail we don't get enough of. Thank you. Take care.

Perdita

 

[logophile]

Mab., that's a very simple story you've told, profound and tragic. Someone's grandfather who took care of pigeons; it's a detail we don't get enough of. Thank you. Take care.

Perdita

I agree. I've wondered if the killing would come to an end if we knew more about the individuals we were killing. Your post made me teary Doc but I'm so grateful to you for sharing it with us. I hope that you find some kind of peace soon.

 

[Sunnie]

I agree. I've wondered if the killing would come to an end if we knew more about the individuals we were killing.

If only it were so simple.

Thanks for sharing that, Doc. I think sometimes we forget how close-to-home this fucked-up war can be.

 

[Pure]

That's very bad news, doc. Condolences.

As you know, besides senseless deaths in 'collateral damage,' there are certain groups that continue to be shafted, in certain Iraq-related areas, during the American's 'bringing freedom': some Christians, Jews, Kurds, etc.

 

[KarenAM]

Doc-- I'm so sorry this happened. It brought to mind my own grandfather's view: There are no words to explain the madness we call war.

 

[shereads]

I've wondered if the killing would come to an end if we knew more about the individuals we were killing.

I do believe that to be true. Just as I'm sure I'd be a dedicated vegetarian if I had to watch the slaughter of an animal instead of just picking up a package at the meat counter, I believe that most of us are only able to allow killing in our name because we aren't confronted with the grief that surrounds each individual death.

Suppose that before a bomb was dropped or a missile fired by American troops in a foreign war, we could freeze time long enough to see the names and faces of each person who was about to die. If we had to choose life or death for each child, each grandfather, each frightened shopkeeper and rock-throwing teenager, we'd demand to know what was gained by each killing. We wouldn't be able to shrug off as "collateral damage" some unknown number of civilian maimings and fatalities. There would be damn few acceptable reasons for invading and occupying another country, if we had to confront the consequences face-to-face. And God help any leader who manipulated the truth and made us accessories to negligent manslaughter, which is exactly what happened and is happening in Iraq.

It really would be that simple. Our leaders know it; that's why there are no pictures of dismembered children and dying grandfathers in our newspapers. Photographs of napalmed kids brought Vietnam home to us and made us demand to know what we gained by the spilling of so much innocent blood. When there was no satisfactory answer, we brought it to an end. Was it only the press that had more courage then? Or were we better people? Maybe a bit of both.

 

[Guest]

I am so sick of bourgeois postures whose idea of revolution is smoking pot instead of tobacco in front of their children.

 

[shereads]

I am so sick of bourgeois postures whose idea of revolution is smoking pot instead of tobacco in front of their children.

You're hoarding your medication again. You know how you get.