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A Different Side of America
Yesterday was the forth anniversary of the war in Iraq. And one of my flatmates - a passionate pacifist and very politically minded - invited the rest of us to go to a demonstration downtown. Another of my flatties, like over 70% of Americans, is also opposed to the war, so she decided to go. And me, well, I have to confess I don't really feel like I know enough about the whole situation to feel as strongly as they do or make a fully informed decision about the war, but I know peace is good. I also know it's a lot easier said than done.
So we took a break from studying for upcoming finals, and went. And the following are my personal observations, please don't be offended if you feel differently.
It was a sunny afternoon, and there was a pretty good turnout. Most people had placards: some peaceful and making good points, like "War is not good for children..." or "Estudiantes? Si! Soldados? No!" Some were just outright angry or just hating on the government, which seemed a little ironic for me coming from people who claimed to be about "peace and love."
Likewise, when it came to speeches, some good points were made, like the need to provide an alternative perspective to the apparently sometimes sugarcoated recruitment of high school kids for the military. But then others seemed to be using the opportunity to advance their own causes, on US immigration issues, or their own political party. I even had one woman tell me that standardized testing in high schools is directly related to the war, hence it should be abolished, though exactly how they're related baffles me.
I would love to hear other people's opinions on this controversial topic - feel free to leave me a comment on my message board.
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