More than Throwing Shoes: Beyond the Humor
December 16th 2008 19:47
By now we've all seen the footage. Old G.W. nearly getting clobbered by a pair of shoes thrown by an angry journalist.
Were his reflexes catlike? Yes, quite impressive.
Was his reaction tempered and appropriate? Sure.
But, while the video of the tossed shoes has gone viral, I believe that there is something lost in the message that the journalist was attempting to "throw" at the President. I do not advocate attacking a sitting President, or anyone for that matter, but shouldn't we at least try to put ourselves in the reporter's shoes (excuse the pun)?
In response to the incident, Bush told a reporter:
"So what if the guy threw his shoe at me?" Bush told a reporter in response to a question about the incident.
Let me talk about the guy throwing his shoe. It's one way to gain attention. It's like going to a political rally and having people yell at you. It's like driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers. ..."
Mr. President, I believe that the incident was far more pointed than being flipped off by a motorist, and it was certainly more than an attempt to gain attention. Perhaps, were you a more compassionate person, you would examine what caused the outburst, rather than saying, "So what." The president told ABC News, "The guy wanted to get on TV and he did." This really is a weak response, considering the protester is a TV personality already.
The reporter in question is Muntazer al-Zaidi. According to his collegues, his act was in protest of the bloodshed in Iraq, which he blamed on President Bush. He has been an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, and he himself was a victim of a kidnapping in 2007, during which time he was beaten until he lost consciousness.
Again, for anyone who would brush past everything that I am saying here and simply accuse me of being a terrorist sympathizer, I will re-state my point that I do not condone violence, of any kind. But what troubles me is how flippant we've all become about this war, and the slaughter of so many people. It is almost as though Iraq has become old news, and any connection that we may have felt to the innocent victims of war has been replaced by Bush Fatigue Syndrome. I feel it too. But this shoe throwing incident served as a wake up call to me.
Remember how people felt after September 11, 2001? How many of us would have rallied behind someone who would stand up to the culprits if we were to have to opportunity? I think most of us would. To many people in Iraq, George W. Bush is the culprit behind the loss of family members and friends, not to mention their homes and livelihoods. Can we not at least try to understand what would cause someone to lose their temper when face to face with the person in charge of such acts? Many of us are so far removed from the atrocities of war, that we are unable to empathize with the anger and despair that one must feel in the midst of it all.
And while Bush lauded the act as an example of the freedoms that the Iraqi people are now feeling with regard to personal expression, al-Zaidi has been detained and reportedly beaten severely while in custody.
Human Rights Watch has criticized Iraq for their treatment of prisoners, including al-Zaidi. The New York-based group said torture and abuse of prisoners before trial appeared common, and legal representation was often ineffectual.
Human Rights Watch said some of the failures of the courts and prisons in Iraq are reminiscent of those in place during the era of Saddam Hussein.
I believe that while it is important not to encourage these types of outbursts, it is equally as important for people to recognize the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people, as well as those in Afghanistan and around the Middle East. They are justifiably upset with the United States for the horrors that they've experienced, while the real culprits of the 9/11 attack still walk free. As long as we as a human community can show compassion toward one another, the actions of our leaders will lose their sway over the populous, and perhaps we will even be able to regain some influence over the decisions of our future leaders.
That shoe was not just thrown at Bush, it was thrown at all of us who have lost sight of the plight of the Iraqi people, and the broken promises that we've made to them. While they failed to make impact with the President, they found their target in my heart, and I sincerely hope that others begin to contemplate the sense of helplessness that must come from living in a Country ravaged by war.
Were his reflexes catlike? Yes, quite impressive.
Was his reaction tempered and appropriate? Sure.
But, while the video of the tossed shoes has gone viral, I believe that there is something lost in the message that the journalist was attempting to "throw" at the President. I do not advocate attacking a sitting President, or anyone for that matter, but shouldn't we at least try to put ourselves in the reporter's shoes (excuse the pun)?
In response to the incident, Bush told a reporter:
"So what if the guy threw his shoe at me?" Bush told a reporter in response to a question about the incident.
Let me talk about the guy throwing his shoe. It's one way to gain attention. It's like going to a political rally and having people yell at you. It's like driving down the street and having people not gesturing with all five fingers. ..."
Mr. President, I believe that the incident was far more pointed than being flipped off by a motorist, and it was certainly more than an attempt to gain attention. Perhaps, were you a more compassionate person, you would examine what caused the outburst, rather than saying, "So what." The president told ABC News, "The guy wanted to get on TV and he did." This really is a weak response, considering the protester is a TV personality already.
The reporter in question is Muntazer al-Zaidi. According to his collegues, his act was in protest of the bloodshed in Iraq, which he blamed on President Bush. He has been an outspoken critic of the war in Iraq, and he himself was a victim of a kidnapping in 2007, during which time he was beaten until he lost consciousness.
Again, for anyone who would brush past everything that I am saying here and simply accuse me of being a terrorist sympathizer, I will re-state my point that I do not condone violence, of any kind. But what troubles me is how flippant we've all become about this war, and the slaughter of so many people. It is almost as though Iraq has become old news, and any connection that we may have felt to the innocent victims of war has been replaced by Bush Fatigue Syndrome. I feel it too. But this shoe throwing incident served as a wake up call to me.
Remember how people felt after September 11, 2001? How many of us would have rallied behind someone who would stand up to the culprits if we were to have to opportunity? I think most of us would. To many people in Iraq, George W. Bush is the culprit behind the loss of family members and friends, not to mention their homes and livelihoods. Can we not at least try to understand what would cause someone to lose their temper when face to face with the person in charge of such acts? Many of us are so far removed from the atrocities of war, that we are unable to empathize with the anger and despair that one must feel in the midst of it all.
And while Bush lauded the act as an example of the freedoms that the Iraqi people are now feeling with regard to personal expression, al-Zaidi has been detained and reportedly beaten severely while in custody.
Human Rights Watch has criticized Iraq for their treatment of prisoners, including al-Zaidi. The New York-based group said torture and abuse of prisoners before trial appeared common, and legal representation was often ineffectual.
Human Rights Watch said some of the failures of the courts and prisons in Iraq are reminiscent of those in place during the era of Saddam Hussein.
I believe that while it is important not to encourage these types of outbursts, it is equally as important for people to recognize the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people, as well as those in Afghanistan and around the Middle East. They are justifiably upset with the United States for the horrors that they've experienced, while the real culprits of the 9/11 attack still walk free. As long as we as a human community can show compassion toward one another, the actions of our leaders will lose their sway over the populous, and perhaps we will even be able to regain some influence over the decisions of our future leaders.
That shoe was not just thrown at Bush, it was thrown at all of us who have lost sight of the plight of the Iraqi people, and the broken promises that we've made to them. While they failed to make impact with the President, they found their target in my heart, and I sincerely hope that others begin to contemplate the sense of helplessness that must come from living in a Country ravaged by war.
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Comment by throw it now
Comment by Cheryl J
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Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Janet Collins
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Comment by Lola Tahlulah
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Thanks Cheryl. It was a desperate act by someone who has probably seen more horror than we can ever imagine.
Anon. I was not defending the merits of shoe throwing. I am asking people to try to use some empathy when it comes to the unthinkable tragedy of living up close and personal with war. Was his action productive? Probably not in the sense that all it got him was detention in a place that none of us would ever want to be held. At the same time, it got me thinking. Maybe it touched others.
Thanks Janet.It is amazing how flippant the official reaction to the incident was. And for Bush to say that this shows the freedoms that Iraqis have earned....I ask him to compare the treatment this reporter received after the fact to the treatment an American would receive for the same act.
Lola, well said.
Comment by Lilla
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