Wednesday, April 09, 2003

I'm watching the men of Iraq taking out a statue of Saddam Hussein in the middle of Baghdad. First a noose slowly making its way up. And now they're beating at it with a sledge hammer. heh, teenage boys are trying now, and they can hardly lift the sledge hammer, but they're giving it their best anyway. They're throwing rocks at the statue. It reminds me of the part of the Hajj when faithful Muslims throw stones at three pillars representing the devil.



I'm so happy for them. It reminds me of watching the Berlin wall come down. There isn't so much dancing, and the crowd is smaller maybe. But the feeling is the same. I remember the statues of Stalin coming down. The people want freedom. And here it is, as the Sky news reporter put it, "the moment that freedom came to the Iraqi people with the US Marine Corp."



A US tank, with dozens of Iraqi's loaded onto the top, looks as if it's about to push the statue over; there's a chain around his neck. Reuters reports say that as tanks rolled into Baghdad, Iraqi's yelled things such as: "We are Americans, we are USA." Another screamed: "Thank you Mr Bush." AP reported that crowds of young boys gathered around Marines screaming: "Bush Number 1! Bush Number 1!"

Shots were heard; the people scattered, but are regathering now. They think there might be snipers. But the people still won't disperse. My God, I can't imagine living in the lives that the poor people of Iraq have had to live. Americans complain when their loudmouthed ideas aren't immediately accepted and popular. Iraqi's were forcibly prevented from having ideas.

They've wrapped an American flag over Saddam's head. They took it off, and an Iraqi is waving it in the air. Now an Iraqi flag is waving. They've hooked the Iraqi flag onto his head. The people are screaming and jumping around.

I hope they hurry, for God's sake, I don't want to miss class again this week, but I'm going to watch this thing come down. It's moving. A huge cheer's gone up. People are praising Allah; there's chanting.

Patriotism is not a feeling that comes overly naturally for me. But I'm so proud of America right now. I have no doubt in me that this war is the right thing. Liberation hasn't meant so much to me since the first time I read the Declaration of Independence.

It's tipping. The legs are broken. People are throwing everything they can get their hands on at him. Damn, even Saddam's damn statue is hanging on to power. The statue just fell! The people are crowding in and dancing. I have to run to school now, but I'm so proud!

They're hoisting an Iraqi flag. And I'm so happy!