Yes, but what do the East Marin women think?

Posted Mon, Nov 18, 2002 at 2:43 pm

Instapundit links to a picture in which 50 women from west Marin county got nekkid and spelled out the word "PEACE" in solidarity with the innocents of Iraq. (Geez, check out the porker in the "E." OK, that's a nasty thing to say...) Excuse me for a moment please, there's someone on the phone.

Hello? Who is this with whom I'm speaking? The innocents of Iraq? Wow, I was just blogging about you. How can I help you? Uh huh. OK. Uh huh. Uh huh. OK, I'll tell them. And thanks for calling.

The innocents of Iraq wanted me to remind the nekkid women of west Marin about the brutality of Saddam's regime, and the partial or complete lack of Western women's rights throughout Muslim lands. The innocents had some suggestions for other words and phrases the nekkid women of Marin could spell out, namely:

PLEASE DON'T GAS US, SADDAM

CAN I TAKE OFF MY BURQA? IT'S 130 DEGREES OUT

IF WE PROTESTED LIKE THIS IN IRAQ, WE'D DISAPPEAR THE NEXT DAY

THE WEST MARIN WOMEN CAN GET NEKKID IN A FIELD AND ON THE WEB, BUT THE RELIGIOUS POLICE WON'T EVEN LET ME DRIVE

PLEASE SPEND THAT $3.5 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS YOU DEPOSITED IN LIBYA ON THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ INSTEAD OF ON YOU AND TARIQ AZIZ, SADDAM

PLEASE DON'T PUT THE ELECTRODES ON MY GENITALS AGAIN, SADDAM

OUR PEOPLE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE 14TH CENTURY ONCE, PLEASE DON'T MAKE US GO BACK THERE TO STAY

...or some other more realistic slogans. They also suggested that maybe if they did this on a sunny day or bussed people in from Frisco, they could get enough nekkid women to make a statement that wasn't just a one-sided, embarrasingly Polyannaish whine.

"The coordinators, who came up with the idea only a day earlier." They should have thought about this some more. "Remembering that tens of thousands of civilians have already died in Iraq as a result of US bombing and sanctions, these women are not convinced by Bush Administration fear mongering that one more person should die." I asked the innocents of Iraq to pass that message on to Saddam, but they said that would be difficult, as none of them would like to be that one person.

Marshall resident Donna Sheehan, who organized the group called "Unreasonable Women" for the photo, said she's been pondering for four years a way women can "be heard on a very deep level."

Might I suggest a blog, and perhaps logic?

Let me leave you with this one final cheap shot: "America is destroying the world in its pursuit of resources," said Melinda Leithold. "It's thoughtless and feelingless."

Some of those slogans apply to Iraq, some apply to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan under the Taliban, etc. I realize Iraq is a more or less secular regime. Here's a link about the Saudi's religious police.
Looking closely at that picture, there only appear to be two Nekkid Women of Color. Which is quite unfortunate. Personally, I would like a close-up of Ana Carolina Monterroso

Tags: 
peace movement

Comments

godlesscapitalist (not verified)

Wed, 11/20/2002 - 02:44

unrelated topic - i gave you props for the post you put up on Welch's blog on Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder on my page. woulda emailed, but no email listed...

Lonewacko (not verified)

Tue, 11/19/2002 - 18:06

Sometimes I think it would be great if we could convert every Muslim country into that proverbial glass parking lot. That would solve the problem of Muslim extremism: no Muslims, no Muslim extremism terrorism.

However, I realize that a) that's not a moral position, and b) it's not practical.

I realize that a less simplistic analysis is necessary. Unfortunately, neither you nor the Nekkid Women of Marin have come to that realization. Calling your and their analysis of the problem Pollyannaish is more of a compliment than that analysis deserves. Compare their statement "Remembering that tens of thousands of civilians have already died in Iraq as a result of US bombing and sanctions" with the actual facts of the matter, some of which are available at http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/iraq/sanctions.html . Instead of, for instance, blaming US actions for the deaths of children in Iraq (exactly OBL's position), they might want to ask a) what has Saddam done to make the situation worse and why did he do that, and b) why did he send 3.5 BILLION U.S. dollars ($3,500,000,000) to Libya instead of spending it on those starving children of Iraq?

When the Lonewacko has time, he will publish his recommendations to fix the problem. It will involve more PR than bombings. But, military action might be necessary, and I would support it. I might even support completely ridding the world of our enemies if it is absolutely a matter of us or them.

Pete Tarnell (not verified)

Tue, 11/19/2002 - 12:08

So, we're in the business of cleaning up every 10 cent country of the dictators we installed because we're such great humanitarians, just like yourself, lonewacko, is that it? Naturally, patriots such as yourself will be lining up to join our gallant boys in uniform to bring godliness and light to the world. Yeah, to hell with these peaceniks and their imperfect bodies. Maybe when we're done bombing the ragheads out of oilfields that should belong to us, we can turn our attention to our own people. Then it'll just be us wackos, havin' a blast! now that's what I call the American Way. Blog on.