� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
�
Somewhere in Iraq or elsewhere in the Middle East--the channel was changed too fast for me to ascertain the location--there was quite the angry and hateful gathering. Someone was holding a desecrated American flag, spray-painted with a black Nazi swaztika on the red and white stripes. My mouth hung open in shock and disbelief as the news camera lingered on that shot for a moment more before turning to another disturbing but almost comical one. George W. Bush's face in black and white was plastered on a sign, and above his head, printed in bold black letters, were the words, "#1 TERRORIST."
A bubble of laughter almost escaped my throat this afternoon when I saw this. For an American like me, thinking of our president as a terrorist equal to Osama Bin Laden is ludicrous. True, he's pursued this war and occupation of Iraq and perhaps his decisions haven't always been the best, and certainly they haven't endeared us to the U.N. or world. But in his defense, he's tried. He got us through 9/11. He's tried to make our nation safer; he's trying to help the Iraqis form a better, stabler form of government after deposing a horrible, dangerous, psychopathic dictator. Plus, he's fighting a war on terrorism, a war every country should be fighting.
Yet, amazingly, I can see why people on that side of the world consider Bush the "#1 TERRORIST." He's brought soldiers into Iraq and Kuwait and all manner of implements of war and destruction. Our Armed Forces--under his orders--have destroyed the Iraqi government, unstable as it was, and have removed its despotic leader from power. (Hopefully for good.) And, from my limited understanding, we are already disagreeing with the new government as to who should be in the offices of power. Correct me if I'm wrong, please.
There's two sides to every situation, as they say.
It rankled greatly when I saw the Nazi symbol on the flag, and that image will be burned indelibly upon my memory for a good long while, I imagine. I hope never to see it again. Just like that picture of the soldier girl who held a prisoner on a leash clipped to a collar around his neck--another reason the Iraqis or people of the Middle East have to hate us and think of Bush as a terrorist.
The swaztika was once a good symbol used by many different cultures--Celtic, certain Native American tribes (I think) and Viking to name a few. I don't remember what the swaztika originally symbolized, but it became perverse when the Nazis inverted it and used it as their symbol. Because of this the swaztika has become synomynous with the Nazis' and Hitler's hateful white-German supremecy.
The true swaztika was just like Pan, the Greek god and Lord of the Forest. Originally, in myth he was a harmless being, most of the time, merrily chasing beautiful nymphs through the forests, wanting to "get some," as they say and protecting the animals when not playing his Pan pipe. Half boy, half goat in some versions, half man, half goat in others, he symbolized freedom and abandonment, sexuality and virility. His form, half human wth the horns and lower half of a goat symbolized his oneness with the wild side of the forests--the animals. He was charming, irresistible--to me, if not to the nymphs--and cheerful.
But then Christianity demonized him in its attempt to get rid of the pagan religions prevailing in the rural areas. Our stereotypical demons are now in his image, with the horns and cloven hooves and tail.
Anything good can be twisted into something bad and evil. =os And there are two sides to everything. I guess that's my long-winded point today. None of us will ever see eye-to-eye. One country's terrorist is another's hero.
While it hurts that others are comparing us to the Nazis, I know nothing will change attitudes. Anger and hatred are two powerful emotions that blind nations to peace and good sense. I'm even more apprehensive and saddened because my brother will be going over to Iraq. He received his orders this week, and depending upon the training needed (if he needs more or not), he may go this month to Fort Bliss (for extra training) or he may have a four-month extension before shipping out. I'm scared as he will become a target, but yet there is a peace. I just wish this nightmare war would end.
|
moon phase |
