remembering the iraq war

today i had the opportunity to attend a 3rd year anniversary 'reminder' (i hesitate to use celebration) of the start of iraq war. my friend from school invited me to go, and upon much deliberation i did. (i was contemplating on maybe going thrift-shopping with my other friend, instead. also, told my mom about it, she told me not to go to the protest march... but i'm such a curious cat, you see...)

anyway, i missed the protest march because i had afternoon school classes to attend. was fine with that (well, mom, i didn't attend the march!). what really interested me was the city council talk after that, wherein i expected the whole group to be gathered in one spot and listening to some selected speakers.

and so it was like i thought it would be. i guess there were around 70+ gathered in a room when i got there. most speakers delivered, thankfully. the one i first reached talked about the importance of truth, esp with regards to american history. completely agreed with him when he said that americans should be told, always, of what they did. i also found myself nodding when he mentioned the irony of america being the 'judge' of deciding who should or shouldn't have nuclear weapons, esp when america was the same country that bombed japan's CIVILIANS (whereas japan attacked the military only). i nodded yet again, how the funds that could've helped the victims of new orleans are just forked over as war expenses, how iraq is even worse off as a nation, how democracy shouldn't be forced. marami.

another speaker delivered his speech over the phone. whereas he made good points on the military to be sent home (and that we support the troops, but not the war), i had to frown at the part where he mentioned that all alquida (?) was not real. be it that there may be a possibility of that, it still doesn't justify how people are being kidnapped and killed. THOSE are real. THOSE are still acts of terrorism. memories of ol pinas news flashed through my head, where there would be bombs exploding in buses and such. yes, those were very real, folks. maybe these people don't have a clue as to what's happening since they live in their nice comfort zones where nothing bad really affects them.

the last speaker was a woman, and hers is a heartbreaking story. she lost her son in the war. and as simple as that, she moved a lot of people.

but i disgress. overall, though, it was good. then came the open forum, which unfortunately, RUINED the affair for me. really.

how so? the organizer invited people to come up on stage to voice out a 2minute opinion or speech. and what do you know, 2 of the first 4 people are politicians. freakin' politicians. it annoyed me to NO END that they started their speech with 'hi, my name is blah-blah, and i'm currently running for....".

OMG. please spare me. i was rolling my eyes in disbelief, and had to restrain myself from making mocking laughter when they said 'this is not a political speech, i completely support...". and that's when i saw, i SAW their supporters. they were all in front of the room, clapping vigorously and giving vehement nods, and large choruses of yes. i might be exaggerating this, but that's how they appeared to me. freakin' assholes (i'm sorry, readers). but i was really annoyed. for me, i saw them as just using this opportunity to make people see them and vote for them.

i walked out of the room, but not before wrestling with some thoughts. one of them was to boo them. another one was, man, to deliver a speech myself. but not to say my opinions (i DO have them), but really more to just SHOW these pompous guys and girls how their political agenda is NOT WELCOME. just one sentence lang, i'll show em.

dear friends, if you saw me, i was really riled up. i knew i would cause trouble, however good (or bad) my intentions were. another part of me wrestled with the logic that, heck, this affair DOES need a political group so as the affair's cause can be even recognized on a government level. make people notice, and this political group can help that, no matter if they use the event/affair as a meands for their political campaign ride/end.

the irony of it all. they're annoying, but the event needs them.

but here is a speech i would have said, if i had the chance:
"i will not give my name and prefer to remain anonymous, because i will assure you, this is NOT a political speech (hah!). but like many of you, i agree that the war in iraq is wrong. but instead of giving the same reasons, i offer a somewhat different perspective, one from my own country. you probably don't have this in US history books, but the philippines was bought by america from spain during 1890's. the filipinos at that time were already revolting against its colonizer spain, and to make the long story short, the US made a treaty to buy the philippines from spain. the US probably wanted to offer a new type of government for the philippines. isn't that the same in iraq? and just like iraq, the insurgencies followed.
if the US hopes to come across a complying country, they are wrong. they were wrong for the philippines back then, they are wrong for iraq now. they will not be seen as liberators nor friends but unwanted conquerors. and while they will also have people from iraq who do support them, the US will only produce a dependent mentality, one that says, 'the US will help us as long as we remain their allies'. and i assure you, whatever government has that mentality, will not be a strong one.
and like the philippines, the insurgencies won't stop. it will continue to cost the US money. it will cost the US with more soldiers risking their lives and more people dying. war achieves nothing but pain, suffering and heartache."