Jill Carroll is a person, not a story. [View All]

[wixomblues]

Jill Carroll went to my high school. She was kind, intelligent, and athletic.

Jill Carroll is a friend of mine, and if you knew her, she would be your friend as well.

She was on assignment in Iraq, as a freelance journalist. She was kidnapped yesterday. Her interpreter is dead.

I haven't spoken to her in years. I knew she wanted to be a journalist, and I guess she got her wish.

I'm not sure how I should feel about this, but all I know, I feel sick. Sad, tense, and upset. It's washing over me.
It's not alright. This whole thing. Good, evil, Us, them, republican, democrat. I'm sick of it all. I'm sick of the lack of decency in this world.

Where have we come from that led us to this point? You look outside, and you marvel at what's around you, from the simplicity of nature to the complex machinery that flows over our paved roads and highways. Yet, in this age, I'm still huddled in remorse, as I worry about someone in a dark room surrounded by people with ill intent who seek to make her part of her cause. A piece of kindling to throw on the fire.

And she choose to be there, some will say. She wanted to be a reporter.

And over 2000 young Americans wanted to serve and protect their country. And for all intents and purposes, there in that same dark room as Jill, with as little control over their fate or their cause.

We listen to people talk about a culture of life over here, and label those on the left as a part of the "culture of death". well, what have we created in Iraq? how sacred is life there? When hundreds die in the streets, what's one more person? Why not kill a young woman if it brings attention to your cause? After-all, her captors don't value their own lives. They know that life and death is something they have little control over anymore.

Do I blame Bush for what's happened to Jill? No. But I blame the aspect of humanity that he represents. The hate, the fear, the anger, it all stems from that dark side of our selves. Humans are complex, neither inherently good, or evil. But we make choices, and we fill roles. Bush plays his part, but it's a game many choose to play. He isn't a lone icon of evil atop the hill. He is the hill, and the valley, and the forest. There is enough evil and bad will in this world that you can always find it and count on it. And he did, as well as his followers.

Am I defending the people that kidnapped Jill? Don't be ridiculous. They're evil, and I make no bones about that. But we engaged them. We are willing accomplices in war, which creates endless atrocities.

I look out the window again. The birds, they are flying, landing, and flying again. Pretty much like they've done for millions of years. The cars rumbling by, the paved roads, the neon signs, we've had that for the last century. How much longer? Which of these is built to last?

As a species, we're not going to do much better then this. And it breaks my heart.


http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0110/p01s04-woiq.html
http://www.mlive.com/news/aanews/index.ssf?/base/news-16/113690761414580.xml&coll=2&thispage=3