Dehumanizing
When I worked in the Central Florida Zoo (Lake Monroe - seminole county)(near Lake Mary) (staff lunch/ refreshments counter mostly), there was an ongoing complaint from the customers. Again and again we would hear it. Typical of the complaint was this one incident.
This woman (by appearance, Byelorussian?) comes in and says "Excuse me but we're trying to eat on the tables outside and the birds keep doing they're thing". I should explain what "thing" is because this is a complaint that was VERY well know to us (but not to you).
The patio section (lovely) outside - there are picnic tables and it's a pleasant place to eat. EXCEPT of course there are birds flying around everywhere (it's a zoo)(birds part of the zoo/ sort of). Now, there are umbrellas which you could put up and eat underneath of. Not all the tables have umbrellas though. (Or sometimes we forget to move umbrella for each table, etc) In any event you always run the rampant risk of birdcrap. (sorry)(but true). On the table, in your food (i.e. chili), everywhere. (That's just life, relly)
Well the woman wanted me to unravel the umbrella for her (she, couldn't do herself?) but somehow (didn't quite understand accent) still wasn't satisfied. (the umbrella--Provided ample coverage if you ask me & remainder of chili was perfactly edible). In general overall she was quite in a bad mood, relly. After several volleys of back and forth eventually I had to explain to her, "Look, lady, if you eat out here you run the risk of getting birdcrapped on". Well then I may of said a few more words to her of unprintable variety, and soon enough we was rid of her (there were further incident not meriting going into here - to making long story short she fainted IRRC, had to call put her in taxi, etc)
This incident was, a perfect correlative metaphor for our relation's with the Middle East people.
We prop-up Repressive regimes, bomb they're countries, assassinate their Shah, get mad if they want to nationalize economices, denounce their traditional/religious legal practices, station are women on THEIR (HOLY) soil, and just generally throw are weight around (them). Then we get crapped on (9.11) and act all surprised!? What did we expect?
To eat (figurative) in THEIR (holy) land and then NOT expect them to birdcrap back on us in response? Waht an arrogant attitude.
This attitude TOTALLY dehumanizes the people of the Middle East.
posted by iraqwarwrong @ 11:50 AM
2 Comments:
Your metaphores are excellent have you every thought of writing novels for a living. You have an insight into teh human condition that reminds me of Hemingway, tolstoy, jack Higgens or Tom Clancy.
I hate saying it but your totally like right when you say we deserved Sept 11. The arabs dont forget teh crusades the inquisition, collonialism the six day war in 73, cultural imperials(macdonalds, coke, hollywood Hustler magazine) you name it we are guilty and sept 11 was our wake up call.
Messres Bush and Tony Blair(his poodle) should start with an heartfelt appology for the crusades and the sack of Jerusalem in 1099. But I wont hold my breath.
Well (funny you should ask) I did wage one (abortive, eventuelly) attempt at a novel. It was a semi autobiographical story about unrequited love, and coincidences.
Many scenes in coffee shops etc; protagonist was physics graduate student who had secretly invented a stable wormhole. (Government/big oil was after alot).
Feelings of Deja-Vu figured promanently in the story.
Some names of people I knew (in real life) were changed for privaty sake (i.e. the love interest).
It would of been sort of like "Infanite Jest" by (one of are BEST authors, relly) David Foster Wallace (only with fewer footnotes, I think)(well I was on pace for roughly same # footnotes, but I think I would of fallen off that pace eventually). Except, it would of been more touching/emotional. (Also no tennis)
But in the end, I decided it was all rather pedestrian, and abandoned the project.
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