Imaginations.

"I remember visiting one of the hospitals in Iraq. The doctors walked us by bed after bed of children who had been injured or killed in the bombings. I saw a little girl shaking in her bed, asking over and over, 'What did I do to America? What did I do to America?'"
-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

After reading the chapter of this book with the above quote in it, I sat back and got the clearest picture yet, at what is truly going on over seas due to this war. Of course I have heard many opposing arguments when it comes to this war, just like everyone else. What I have not really gotten a good glimpse at (thanks to the wonderful media we have in this country) is the stories like these, that remind me and others that there are INNOCENT people.. children nonetheless that are being injured and even KILLED for no other reason than the fact that they live in Iraq. Hmm, just like innocent people were killed here in America on 9/11. So wait, "we" were so outraged after 9/11 that so many civilians were killed and others were traumatized for life that we flew across the world to drop bombs on their country and kill civilians and try to force our great government system on them? Ohh right, that makes sense.

Shane goes on to say:
"I saw a father hold his child, whose body was speckled with missile fragments, and heard him say 'What kind of liberation would do this to my child? If this is librartion, then we do not want it. If this is democracy, they can keep it.'"

This had really been bothering me all day long, and rightfully so I would say. I later brought it up to someone close to me by explaining what I had read and was answered with, "Yeah that is terrible, but what were we supposed to do? Sit back and do nothing? There was no other way or they would know it was too easy to do what they did."

I was in awe. I had heard many people say that the war was inevitable, but after telling two stories of absolute imhumane things being done to innocent children and hearing the same response, I was floored, and I was angry. I explained that I wasn't angry at her but that I was so fed up with people believing that war, violence and fighting back could really be the answer to all of our problems. This person went on to say to me, "Look at the history of our country, it is full of war." And as if this was backing up what she had to say! I calmed my voice down and explained, "Yes, "our" history is full of war and where has it gotten us? Caught in a viscious cycle."

"Can we please not talk about this? I dont wan't to talk about this anymore."

Of course not. Anytime people get uncomfortable in a conversation or situation, they want it to end. I pushed on and asked a simple question, "If you were punched in the face would you punch the person back or try to work out the issue another way."

"That is one analogy that works Chel, but it is so much smaller than war."

That is what I figured.

I may have let me temper get the best of me for a moment, but I tried to stay calm and let her know that I was not angry at her, but that it was ridiculous how unimaginative people are. "Violence is for those who have lost their imagination. Has your country lost its imagination?" This is a question that the manager of the hospital Shane visited asked him. And I would answer that question with a big YES. A sad, unfortunate, discomforting YES.

Imagine if we could all open up our minds and use our imaginations to come up with different solutions. Not just to war.. let's start small if we have to. A new solution to a 3rd grader bullying a 2nd grader. A different way or handling a punch to the jaw at a ball game. Who knows what would happen if we all got our imaginations back. If we stopped blaming "history" and "the way things have always been" for the way things are.

Let's go.