Monday, March 12, 2007

Welcome...Beware of Opinion

This is the journal of Pasquino Rockefeller. It is a critical look at the war in Iraq with a dash of satire. None of the entries will be formally dated because...well...who cares? The first entry is basically going to introduce you to me and the reason I am writing this. Everything else will be a therapeutic release of satirical pessimism that will hopefully entertain as well as inform. And if you don't like what I have to say then it's probably because you're part of the problem--not trying to be rude but hey, it is what it is. In addition, I would like to make this an open forum where anyone can post a response or question to any of my entries. I will, however, insist that the comments be on-topic and be held to a high standard of maturity. I will try to respond to as many comments as possible. Feel free to speak your minds. After all, this is a democracy and before you can stand up for a belief you have to have one. Enjoy.

February 13, 2007—the day before Valentine’s Day—I discovered a flyer at my college describing a protest against the war in Iraq that will be taking place in a month. I have to say this is my first protest and I am quite excited about it. And it is this sudden surge of patriotism that has inspired me to create this journal reflecting my feelings on this war. I realize it has been going on for a few years even without my support so this journal is more or less a therapeutic way of getting my frustrations out. Anyway, to better explain my enthusiasm I would have to delve into my own beliefs about the war in Iraq. Now I understand that everyone has their own opinion and so I will keep this short and to the point. I never supported the invasion of Iraq. Though its President, Saddam Hussein, was no doubt out of his mind, I strongly felt that the lack of evidence supporting the gut feeling of George W. Bush that Iraq was supporting Al-Qaeda was insufficient for going to war. There were probably many hidden agendas within the Bush Administration we may never know about but it was clear that the pretences for war on the belief that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction were false. It was a combination of the reason for war along with Bush’s continuous lack of interest in solving problems intelligently that ended up pushing me to the far left.
Now returning back to the actual anti-war rally, I am convinced that it is time for me to put words into action and take a stand for what I believed in. It is time to bring our troops home and end the chaos we are in the middle of in a country that doesn’t want us there anymore. Unfortunately, we have abused our privilege of being one of the most powerful nations in the world and are now occupying a country that wishes to be left to sort out its own issues. After all, we gave them freedom and now it’s time to let them use it. Immediately after reading about the protest I began formulating possible picket sign mottoes in between note taking during the lesson. None of the ideas that came to mind were any good, I’ll admit.
Later, I thought of the Vietnam War and the social impact it had on the America. It was a time when the people really cared and became so passionately unified in a single cause that it ended an entire war. And today we’re fighting a war so that a nation previously held under an iron fist could cast free elections and in our own country we can barely get people to vote. I hope that one day soon we could once again stand together for a common goal but it seems like 1970 is so far away and people are more interested in their ipods than war. The war has truly begun to taste foul on my lips and so the time has come for action and I choose to protest.
I had been told that the FBI would probably be taking photos and making up files on me. I am well aware of the Bush Administration’s “1984” totalitarianism ideals and the Patriot Act. Surveillance is no longer a word used lightly. I’m sure if I checked out Mien Kampf, the FBI would have my favorite food recorded by the time my library card was swiped. But none of that bothers me. I am not prepared to do anything illegal so I am content with the FBI showing a little attention my way. Hey, you haven’t really lived until your on the FBI’s watch list…remember that.

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