“There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.”
―
Howard Zinn
Before I went to Iraq for the first time, my mother said to me, "Remember, they are all God's children too." I tried to keep this in mind.
Whether you believe in God or not there is one fact that is certain:
We all have the same potential for positive and negative outcomes.
The negative aspects we see in others of our own culture transcend all cultures. The same goes for the positive aspects.
I found the Iraqi people to be friendly, trustworthy, and generous.
The flip-side to this is proven in the words of a fellow Marine, "We should just nuke 'em all so we can go home." He was sour towards the Iraqis and we weren't even roughing it (and we never had before that). We were posted in Saddam's Presidential palace at the time. We got three square meals, showers daily, and being rooted deep in the Green Zone we saw very little in the way of action. It seems to me that his enlistment to him and the honorable discharge of such were not as important as a 'posh' lifestyle of remaining in garrison under a pretense of peace back home.
It is attitudes like this amongst soldiers and others that perpetuates warfare and terrorism in ALL people. When a soldier does not take his responsibilities or other humans seriously and "accidentally" discharges his weapon upon innocent civilians he is not "winning hearts and minds." He, or she, is making extended families into enemies. Such things do happen as accidents, but there are far too many.
It's unfortunate that we pray for the soldiers and forget to pray for the innocent ones who suffer from war and cannot escape it.
Iraqis are ALL God's children (who or whatever God is to you), and these children of God have mothers and fathers. They have brothers and sisters. They have children. Little boys that hold their big sister's hand when walking through their hometown. Little girls with dreams of being mothers, dreams of education and dreams of love just like any other person might have.
Watch
"Children of Heaven" and you'll get the idea. It's an Iranian film
about a young boy who loses his sister's shoes and diligently strives to
right his wrong.
Our cultures are different, but that doesn't make our flag superior or invincible. We have to humble ourselves. Too often we assume superiority over others. When we can recognize that we are the same as our neighbors, maybe then we can get somewhere.
What truly makes one great is service, and not force. One who is great has more to offer, not less, and their greatness is only reflected upon others, not selfishly horded inside themselves. The virtues that apply to individuals also apply to societies.
There are innocent people everywhere, and all of us are imperfect. None of us has the right to claim superiority over others.
"He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone." John 8:7
