Oh, Deb!

This is a lose/lose situation any way you look at it.
You're right.  This is not a political forum.  You are
right.  Our troops (whom I support while I do not
support the war) are not policeman.  Neither are we
the world's police.

You're angry because the Americans were blamed.

Now, think about it from their perspective.

Before the Americans came, they were charged with
guarding and protecting some of the world's oldest and
most cherished treasures.  Antiquities that could not
be replaced were put in their care.

I don't know the individual stories of these curators,
but I can presume, like good museum professionals,
they put their life's blood into this work.  I'm
guessing lots of hours and great precision.  Pride in
one's efforts.  Remember, you don't go into museum
work because it pays well (sigh), you do it because
you love what you do.  How many times have we told
that to the young folks here?

For whatever reason, no matter where you choose to
affix the blame, their country has been invaded,
people in their country have been killed, buildings
have been falling (I still cannot figure why none here
rue the fact that statues and other works of
art--albeit of Hussein--have been destroyed.  Gorgeous
buildings have been rendered to rubble, all in the
name of war).

These people have seen the world they knew upheaved in
a matter of days.  Some have been sleeping in mosques
hoping that would protect them.  They probably have a
good old fashioned case of post traumatic stress
disorder, not unlike those seen under like
circumstances.  With PTSD comes a good deal of anger
in the middle of the shock and attendant depression.

They can tell from Al Jazeera and other sources that
looting is ongoing.  They were told that we had come
to rescue them.  They plead to us to help protect the
treasures they revere.  We didn't, for all the reasons
you've cited.

Come on, Deb.  Can't you forgive them for being
emotional, for being upset?  Wouldn't you?

Instead of finger pointing and blaming, chest beating
and bleating, we should all be mourning that which can
never be replaced and glad for the period of time we
lived in which we could enjoy it.  Let us hope that
some part of what was "lost" is found and what was
destroyed can be repaired.

Let's not spend our time being angry at them, but
rather try to figure out ways they can be helped.
After all, they are concerned about the very things
we've lamented here.

Instead of acting like ugly Americans because they
sounded out in anger, perhaps we could show them what
is good about America and Americans.  Perhaps we can
send folks to lend them a hand with the restoration
and dollars when we have no hands to offer.  Both are
conditional upon when it's safe to do so, but let's be
proactive and not reactive.  Do any here have books
with pictures of these treasures that could be sent to
places like Ebay to ensure that these items never show
up on the auction block?

Let's not fix the blame.  Let's do what we can to
repair the damage and fix the problem.

Think about it.  Their whole world has collapsed
before their very eyes.

They lost.  But we lost, too.

Let's not lose further by being wrapped up in anger.
There is no time for that.  It's time to fix what we
can while we can.



--- Deb Fuller <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> I know this isn't a political forum but that last
> article from CNN really
> cheesed me off and I really feel I need to say
> something.
>
> In summary, the US troops were blamed for not
> stopping the looting of the
> museum in Baghdad.
>
> To quote one of the US commanders, "We're not a
> police force." (Not in the
> article.) The military isn't a police force. They
> aren't trained to be a police
> force. They're trained to stop the enemy which they
> have done. Looting is
> EVERYWHERE and there's just not enough tanks or
> troops to keep everything safe.
>
> These guys have been on the go for 3 weeks. They
> haven't had showers, used a
> real flush toilet or probably gotten more than 4
> hours of sleep a night in
> those 3 weeks - not to mention spending many weeks
> before that on high alert
> ready to move at a moment's notice. They've been
> shot at; they've seen their
> friends shot. They're extremely on edge because they
> don't know if the Iraqi in
> civilian clothes coming towards them wants to thank
> them or blow them up. Right
> now, the average solider probably cares more about
> getting a home cooked meal,
> a hot shower, wearing something that isn't all
> shades of sandy brown and
> getting a full night's sleep in a real bed than
> stopping someone from filtching
> a really old clay tablet. I can't really say that I
> blame him.
>
> There are still pockets of resistance in Baghdad and
> the troops don't know what
> traps were laid by Saddam's troops as they fled. And
> up until Sunday AM, they
> were still looking for 7 POWs. 4 are still MIA.
>
> Tanks and troops can't be everywhere nor is it their
> job. I could start asking
> where are the UN troops who's responsibility it is
> to do this, but I just won't
> go there. If the decision comes down to protecting
> the US troops in Baghdad or
> protecting a museum that's one of hundreds of
> buildings being looted, where do
> you think the tanks will go? My guess is that human
> lives are a bit more
> important than artifacts.
>
> The US troops freed the city and turned it over to
> the Iraqi people. THEY are
> the ones doing the looting. It is THEIR fault for
> destroying their own
> artifacts. The US gets criticized for trying to
> revive colonialism and control
> Iraq. So we live up to our original assertion of
> turning control of Iraq back
> to the Iraqi people. Now the troops are getting
> blamed for NOT controlling the
> people. You can't have it both ways. Don't blame the
> troops for what the Iraqi
> people have done of their own free will. Once things
> die down, hopefully cooler
> heads will prevail and people will start returning
> the artifacts and rebuilding
> the museum. But again, it will be up to the Iraqi
> people to do so, NOT the US
> or any other outside group.
>
> Sorry again for venting but that article was way out
> of line.
>
> Deb



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