A Lao Lunchbreak

Certainly had an interesting lunch. I went with some coworkers to a performance in the Jefferson Building. Once a month, the library presents "Homegrown 2006", which is a musical performance done by an individual or group that's from somewhere in the United States.

Today, we watched a group from Iowa. That was their tie to the U.S. anyway. Most of the original members are from Laos. They performed some Lao music and dancing. It was very entertaining and their costumes were ornate and beautifully crafted. If you click on the link above, you can see a picture of someone performing my favorite dance that they performed. It's a dance about a monkey king.

Last night was super "DCish". Mal and I grabbed dinner at Union Station and then met Drew and Marie, one of his coworkers, for the movie Meeting Resistance. It was an invitation only event and we heard about it through Drew.

The movie wasn't exactly what I was expecting. There were no calculating terrorists filled with crazy ideas. No shots taken in caves and dark places. Rather, the movie was filled with "normal" Iraqis. Most of the people interviewed by the directors were men, although there was one woman. They spoke of their roles as "insurgents" and their overall goal and desire for America to just "leave them alone". It was informative and left me feeling more depressed about the situation there. It seems, from the insurgents' perspectives, that they just want us gone. They want us to leave their damaged country, to be picked up by its own people, and to just go.

They claim to be fighting because they just want us to leave. People who aren't even associated with the military or organized groups are picking up guns, missiles, and other weapons. They are aiming at Americans because we represent "the invading enemy" that is pressing our thumb down and squelching them.

The documentary was filmed in 2003, and many things have even changed since then. There was no division among Shiites and Sunnis. They fought, together, against America. I wonder now how their perspectives may have changed towards us? Since they are so violently divided, are they quick to still hate us?

After the movie, several veterans spoke who served in Iraq. One said that he had no idea that the people of Iraq felt that way. During his time served, he knew of no differences in the Shiites and Sunnis. He added that he would have liked to have known those things while he was there. All he did was follow orders and give them (he was a commander), with little regard to what he might not know.

It was interesting. I'm glad that I went. I was sullen and slightly depressed when I left. I felt disappointed for the soldiers and also upset that the Iraqi insurgents were (are?) completely blind to any good that was/ has come out of their liberation. All they kept focusing on was our presence. I got their point that if America would leave, the fighting would stop. They are only fighting because we are there. Funny. How would they explain the fighting before we arrived? Or now, as it is more amongst themselves than at us? Sad.

Everyday, as more and more war stories develop throughout our globe, I become more upset and disappointed in us as people. We are too quick to cast a stone before learning about each other. We've traded violence for other ways of resolving conflicts. We've really screwed up what could have been a better world. The worst thing is, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. World peace is a crock. It makes me want to throw up my hands and write it all off.