I just got back from East Dearborn.
Like anyone else within sight of a TV this morning I watched the spectacle of Saddam’s statue being pulled down. As news of the imminent destruction of the statue spread throughout Baghdad, ordinary citizens came to watch, to touch history. Many brought their children and hoisted them on their shoulders. I prayed for the future those children might see, free from a terrorist regime.
It reminded me of all the other parts of history I’d witness courtesy of the cathode ray tube in my thirty some years on this planet: man walking on the moon, the resignation of a president, attempts on the life of another president and a pope, the release of Nelson Mandela, the fall of the Berlin Wall. I often watched with envy, longing to be there, to touch history.
I tore myself away from the TV early in the afternoon to run some errands. When I heard NPR reporting spontaneous demonstrations on the streets of east Dearborn (the predominantly Middle Eastern suburb of Detroit) only fifteen minutes from my house in good traffic, I raced there.
I drove east down Ford Road. About half a mile west of Greenfield it started—the honking the waving of flags (both US and Iraqi). Outside Fordson High School students danced and encouraged drivers to honk their horns. I wasn’t stingy, few were.
Heading North on Schaffer I drove into the heart of the world’s most populace Arab neighborhood outside the Middle East. Flags everywhere—mostly American but a sprinkling of Iraqi. Young men walked in and out of the stalled traffic draped in American flags, encouraging all to blow their horns. It was a mighty noise.
I found myself behind a white Chevy Malibu with three young men hanging out the windows. I followed them as they turned west on Warren past dollar stores, bakeries, dry cleaners and every other conceivable business with signs and awnings in both English and Arabic proudly waving the US flag. Old men, some of them in traditional dress, kissed one another and danced in circles outside coffee houses.
All the local TV stations were represented by remote trucks. There was even a crew from al-Jezeera. How do I know? Because they were waving a poster-board sign behind the camera to lure the crowd in their direction. And the crowd was more than willing to comply.
Like most of the traffic, I made a U-turn before hitting Greenfield and the Detroit border, heading back into East Dearborn.
Then I heard it rising above the traffic, that famous trilling sound Arab women make in moments of triumph. It came from a group of black clad women in front of what used to be the Camelot theater but is now a fruit market. They modestly covered their mouths with their headscarves, but I knew it was them. Their daughters in modern dress, looking like typical Brittany Spears teenage girls, danced with one another to the sound of Middle Eastern pop music like the MTV-influenced kids they are, waving to the boys with the flags in the Chevys and Ford pickups and PT Cruisers as they drove by.
One vehicle summed up this palpable outpouring of joy. Painted on the side of a black SUV: “No more fear in Iraq!”
It reminded me of the emotion that heralds a Red Wings Stanley Cup win. But this was bigger. Many if not most of these people had family or friends in Iraq. It was real to them in a way most of us can never appreciate. Other teams will win Lord Stanley’s Cup, but Iraq’s Rubicon has been crossed. The handwriting is on the wall. The Baathist terror state in its death throes.
I didn’t linger long; I’d sated my curiosity. I’d touched history; I’d shared their joy in a small way. Anything more would be voyeurism.
I’m not naive enough to imagine this is the end. We’re a long way from that point, and there’s some bloody work ahead of us. Many have claimed this is the beginning of the end. I hope so.
But for anyone who still doubts we are on the correct path, or that we are doing right by the Iraqi people: I wish you’d been in Dearborn this afternoon.
I'm watching footage right now of men in Iraq using a sledgehammer to bring down another statue of Saddam. They were wrestling each other over the sledgehammer, for who got to hit it next.
Thanks for the story! I hope that the rest of the world will see this celebration.
What a lovely, articulate description of events. Thank you for allowing me to see it through your eyes. They've had so little happiness;it's wonderful to imagine them rejoicing.
My husband is a Naval helicopter pilot, currently deployed to parts unknown. Your story brought tears to my eyes as I read it while sitting at my desk at work. The thought that what my husband and so many other are fighting for, and that what far too many have died for, is bringing such joy and relief to so many people makes it a little easier to pass another day of lonliness and worry. Thank you for that.
Wonderful read!
Thanks for posting.
Wow, thanks for posting this!! I was so happy when I saw them showing footage of this on the news. I wish I could have seen it for myself too.
Wonderful, Dean, just wonderful. I've got a link up to it.
Oops...I mean Paul...
I might have been wrong in my initial anti-war stance.
Why is it the Iraqi exiles in the US seem to be happy about Saddam going adios, while Iraqi exiles in Arab countries were all going back to fight for Saddam?
Shawn,
As glib as it may sound, the simple reason people were dancing in the streets in Dearborn was because they can.
Let’s take a look at the neighborhood:
In a Baathist run police state like Syria spontaneous expressions like the one I witnessed this afternoon would simply not be permitted.
Jordan must balance general support for ending of the Baghdad regime with the practical consideration of: 1) living next door to a terror state with the largest army in the Middle East, 2) hosting a growing population of Palestinians who's cause has been financed by Syria, Iran and Iraq for years. (The current King of Jordan's great-grandfather was murdered by a Palestinian extremist and his brother the last King of Iraq was murdered during the original Baathist coup) 3) ongoing electoral reforms and attempts to institute democracy while balancing the demands of Baathist, Islamist, and Palestinian parties. That kind of balancing act often forces Jordan into a state of seeming vacillation when it comes to acting in their own national interests.
Iran is walking a tightrope internationally and domestically. It simply cannot afford to allow celebration of the downfall of Saddam when there are more than enough of its own citizens anxious to see the state crumble.
Events of the past month have doubtless sent shivers through the capitals of all repressive regimes. It is too much to hope for a domino-style effect as we saw in Eastern Europe, but not impossible to imagine a massive wave of second thoughts on the part of many who may have been lulled into believing this was a war of conquest or a crusade against Islam as portrayed in the state controlled medias of the above mentioned states or outlets like al-Jeezera who could see their plug pulled and their broadcasts censored were they to present truly fair and balanced coverage.
Let us also consider how many of these “volunteers” had family in Iraq who could have been threatened by the regime if they didn’t take up the cause.
There is one other reason: we are an evil corporate run oligarchy that bullies smaller, peaceful nations into submitting to its will for territorial conquest and profit. When some country bravely refuses to submit to blackmail we bring to bear all the deadly force of our imperial army on top of them.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Just checked in to your web...alright! You guys down South should realise no one up here is upset with Americans...we just do not trust Bush and the lot in Washington and I am glad we are not mixed up in this mess in Iraq..the first time I have agreed with Chretien in years. OK, I am glad Hussein is gone but still think it might have been done somehow otherwise. Seeing I cannot think of any other way considering the wimpy way the UN acts, I guess I had better just shut up. However. I do think that the "freedom" of the Iraqui people and/or the matter of weapons of mass destruction was just an excuse to invade the country. Look at the map. It is a perfect base for the military to oversee everyone else in the area not to mention oil control. It is pretty obvious really.If Washington is so darned concerned about atrocious behaviour, why aren't they in Africa fixing things up? I hear there are talks coming up with Korea. What about Iran and Syria? Oh boy, nothing like being a super power.It's no mystery to me why the USA is feared and disliked. That's the price you pay for being top dog,eh. Good luck!So,another part of my message is...don't get your knickers in a knotdown there..we are just folks like you and neighbours but we do not care for the idiots in Washington or anyone else in politics anywhere.So there!
To Street in Victoria, Canada: the feeling is mutual. We don't care for idiots, even if they are our neighboors. (Misspelling was deliberate.) Pay attention to the motto of the Province of Quebec.
Street,
My experience with Canadian friends tells me that there is no pastime so enjoyed in Canada-- perhaps even including hockey-- than bashing the US. I had to sit through lunch at Wendy's and Tim Horton's and other such places, repeatedly, while my hosts gleefully told me how much my country and its elected officials sucked. Even when they come to visit me here in San Jose, they can't resist it: "So, how about that Iran thing back in the 80s. You guys sure screwed that up, huh?"
It certainly must be comfortable, not having to be in the position of having your actions criticized, because they aren't large enough to affect anybody but yourselves. When words are your only weapons, they get honed to a fine cutting edge. And the Canadian penchant for lobbing verbal missiles at us, couched in the form of easy joshing cameraderie but hiding sly backhanded criticism, frankly astounds me. It's as though even the nations which are our best of friends cannot jettison the wry irony even in a time of extreme moral certitude. 9/11 cast the world into very black and white terms for America, but Canada paints murals of Bush swinging the Twin Towers from his cowboy jeans and waving his cowboy hat in an arrogant swagger-- and then says, "Oh, but don't you see, we're your friends-- we're just trying to help you see the error of your ways!"
I'm not about to make fun of the bankrupt Canadian health-care system that Chrétien won't even use himself, or its useless 48,000%-over-budget gun-registration system. (Oh wait-- did I just do that?) I don't presume to moralize to our Best Friends & Neighbours about how they should behave in the world. If it were Canada who had been attacked on 9/11, and if it were the CN tower lying in ruin in downtown Toronto-- even were we not to commit our military to any just action Canada might choose to undertake, which we probably would, at the very least we wouldn't be constantly carping about how stupid the Prime Minister is for daring to treat those who did it as evildoers in every way worthy of the name.
Don't accuse us of treating war in Iraq like a video game, and we won't accuse Canada and the UN of treating it like a D&D campaign, where nobody brought the Mountain Dew and only one person has any money.
Oh Brian, thank you very much. I am frankly sick to death of the sanctimonious mendacity spewed at us by those in other countries. When we complain, we're told we ought to have a sense of humor - about things where such "humor" has no place.
as mentioned above, there was dancing in addition to marching down the streets of dearborn yesterday starting about the same time it started in bagdad.
what isn't mentioned above, but what was discussed on channel 7 and channel 4 news yesterday (detroit television stations) was that al jazeera showed up to cover the celebrations.
the first mention of this was on channel 7 in the early afternoon when the newscaster stated (as he stood at the park where the celebration had moved to) that there had been an 'incident' between some iraqis and al jazeera which the police had to break up. why would this happen you might ask?
because some iraqis in dearborn, michigan believe that al jazeera has supported saddam and his regime in iraq for many years.
some wanted al jazeera to leave. others (and these folks apparently persuaded those who wanted them to go) thought it would be better if al jazeera stayed so they could see how iraqis REALLY felt ... that they were happy the war had occurred and that their country was being liberated. these folks were waving both american and iraqi flags. they were dancing, singing. and some men had tears running down their faces.
and finally.... this morning, april 10, on good morning america, a group of dearborn, michigan iraqis were interviewed about their feelings. before this, as some of them stated, they were afraid to show their faces publicly while speaking about what they wanted for their country or use their real names. they were afraid what would happen to their families in iraq. they had good reason because some of their family and friends had been tortured more than once and some had disappeared.
...this situation... saddam's regime... is very much like what happens when neighbors hear a wife or child being beaten or tortured next door and do nothing. it's not ok to ignore cries of pain or cries for help. the world as a community has done this for all of saddam's regime. and just as it is appalling beyond words when neighbors ignore cries of pain in the home next to theirs, it is equally immoral when countries ignore this kind of horror on the other side of their borders.
in the united states, we also must understand that it is difficult to deal with our country for others because the personality changes each time we elect a different president. we've had tremendous lack of moral fiber and functional spinal column in the white house for the two terms before this president. but we finally have a man who truly does represent our country and the majority of the people in it. if he says something, he means it. and morals aren't negotiable. finally. "IS" finally means what webster's dictionary states.
damn well about time.
"Street in Victoria" apparently doesn't care much what we think of Prime Minister Cretin.
Fortunately, I know some Canadians who feel the same way about the sanctimonious son of a bitch as I do.
If it were Toronto or Vancouver that were hit, you know who'd be doing everything possible to help Cretin rebuild and go after the miscreants, and the regimes that contributed.
Ah, but Iraq was no threat and not related, right? Only if you believe that terrorists work in a vacuum, rather than as part of a culture and a mentality that we need to do something about.
Well, Brian has the right of us. Moral superiority is an easy stance to take when you have no responsibilities.
Dear Paul,
I'm a 26 yr. old American Missionary in Poland. I've been here for about 5 years. I want to thank you for giving me such a beautiful piece of home through that last article. Can I have your permission to use it in my English classes?
Blessings,
corey booher
Gorzow Wlkp.
Corey,
Feel free to share my post with your students.
I'm intimidated by the fact that it's an English class and this is far from the best piece of writing which I think I'm capable of producing. I wrote it very quickly and in the heat of the moment while experiences were still fresh in my mind. Upon subsequent re-reading I can only see the flaws and I’m quite sure Messrs. Strunk & White would have a field day with it. My hope was that in its immediacy this humble jotting caught a little of the outpouring of spirit the flowed through the streets that day. I don't know how old your students are but if they witnessed any of the euphoria surrounding the fall of Communism, I imagine the feelings of the moment must have very similar.
Cheers,
As an American living in Canada and married to a Canadian who could not easily join me in the States but who wants to move down very much, I have been sickened to watch the anti-American slant of the TV news reporting in Canada.
Embodied primarily in the news reporting of the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) which from what I understand is funded by the government of Canada.
It is no wonder to me that many Canadian's feel as they do. Given the truth that our thinking is invariably affected by what we allow ourselves to see and hear. Especially on TV. Which in Canada, in terms of the CBC at least, is very much anti-American. Subtly so but enough to influence public opinion no doubt.
What is even more amazing to me is the way in which many Canadians seems to do almost nothing to get involved in booting politician's like Cretchien out of office while all along saying they disagree with the way he is handling the whole U.S./Canada relationship.
To this day I still don't understand how the politicians in Canada seem to get away with so much.
Carlos
Paul: there may be small nits to pick in your writing (hey, I'm studying Editing for Technical Writing run by a tough prof right now :))), they are, indeed, small. It's a good piece.
I was wondering if you saw an article by Henry Payne on NRO:
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-payne041103.asp
I was curious to see how his impressions are different from yours.
Casey,
I just read the NRO piece. My favorite quote:
The war's opponents, the French in particular, received lesser reviews. "They have no right to talk for us," exclaims [Hany] Choulagh. "They don't know what it's like to live under dictatorship. They only know how to profit from it."
Too true.
There was a subtext to his piece that I found interesting, there was no shortage of volunteers to quote from. Local TV coverage was had same feel, people enthusiastically sought out the press to carry the message to the world. They wanted their shouts of joy to be heard not just in Washington but in Baghdad, Damascus and Paris.
It wouldn't hurt if they were heard in San Francisco, Berkeley and Ann Arbor (to name a few) as well.
"If it were Toronto or Vancouver that were hit, you know who'd be doing everything possible to help Cretin rebuild and go after the miscreants, and the regimes that contributed."
We still have soldiers in Afghanistan looking for the miscreant that is responsible. We've brought home body-bags for New York. Have a bit of respect.
"Ah, but Iraq was no threat and not related, right? Only if you believe that terrorists work in a vacuum, rather than as part of a culture and a mentality that we need to do something about."
I don't think that unilaterally invading a country has ever weakened the resolve of terrorists. Perhaps I've missed a precedent, though.
One always hopes and prays that these things work out for the best in the long run.
Saw this on the local news should have thought to go down there myself. Great post! (except for that part about other teams winning the Stanley cup. How dare you!)