The Eyes of the Beholder
Reggie Marra
War Poetry Contest 2005 (view all the winners)
Honorable Mention
The Iraqis are sick
people and we are the
chemotherapy. [1] We stand
for human liberty. [2] We
shoot them down like the
morons they are. [3] Freedom
is beautiful and when
people are free they
express their opinions. [4]
They are killing us and
nobody's talking about
it. We want Saddam
back. At least there was
security. [5] You got to go
in there and bust their
chops badly, and let the
speed and momentum
and violence overwhelm
them. [6] Our nation and
our coalition are proud
of this accomplishment. [7]
Fire a warning shot! Stop
fucking around! Stop
him. Red 1, stop him!
Cease fire! You just
fuckin' killed a family
because you didn't fire
a warning shot soon enough! [8]
Ours is the cause of human
dignity; freedom guided by
conscience and guarded by
peace. [9] I did what I had
to do. I don't have a big
problem with it. I think
they thought we wouldn't
shoot kids. But we showed
them we don't care. [10] This
ideal of America is the hope
of all mankind. [11] Then once
you release the weapons, that's
a good feeling. It's a good
feeling to have the bombs
come off the jet, because
you know you're aiding someone
somewhere by striking a target. [12]
Society is a better place because
of the American troops. [13] Amid
the wreckage I counted twelve
dead civilians who had been
trying to leave Nassiriya
overnight. Their mistake had
been to flee over a bridge
that is crucial to the coalition's
supply lines and to run into a
group of shell-shocked young
Marines with orders to shoot
anything that moved. One man's
body was still in flames. It gave
out a hissing sound. [14] We believe
in human dignity. We believe
every individual has worth. [15] Wait
'til I get hold of a friggin' Iraqi. No,
I won't get hold of one—I'll just kill
him. [16] We believe in respect. We
believe in tolerance. The best way
to secure America is to get the
enemy before they get us. [17] We
ought to be beating our chests
every day. [18] If we are an arrogant
nation, they will resent us. [19] We
ought to look in a mirror and get
proud and stick out our chests and
suck in our bellies, and say, "Damn,
we're Americans!" [20] If we're a
humble nation, but strong, they'll
welcome us. [21] The invading troops
in Iraq are not Christians, and those
who sent them are not Christians, and
have nothing to do with Christianity. [22]
That's the interesting thing about being
the president. Maybe somebody needs
to explain to me why they say something,
but I don't feel like I owe anybody an
explanation. [23] Terrorism is in the eyes
of the beholder. [24] My answer is
bring them on. [25]
________________________________________________
[1] Corporal Ryan Dupre, US Marines, UK Times, 3/30/03
[2] G.W. Bush, 5/1/03; USS Abraham Lincoln, San Diego, CA
[3] Brig. General, John Kelly, 4/9/03, Sydney Morning Herald
[4] G.W. Bush, 4/20/03, White House News Release
[5] Zahra Yasin, hospital in Mosul with wounded son, 4/17/03
[6] Army Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey, 3/25/03
[7] See note 2
[8] Capt. Ronnie Johnson, Army 3rd Infantry Division
[9] G.W Bush, 9/11/02, Ellis Island, NY, White House Press Release
[10] Army Private Nick Boggs, 4/8/03, Karbala, after killing a boy with machine gun fire
[11] See note 9
[12] B-1 pilot, Capt Chris Wachter, 4/8/03
[13] G.W. Bush, Little Rock, Arkansas, 5/5/03, White House Press Release
[14] UK Times reporter, Mark Franchetti, 3/30/03
[15] See note 13
[16] See note 1
[17] See note 13
[18] Retired General Jay Garner, 4/30/03, Reuters
[19] G.W. Bush, Campaign 2000, https://web.archive.org/web/20150626135243/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics-july-dec00-for-policy_10-12/
[20] See note 18
[21] See note 19
[22] Orthodox Church Spokesperson, Archimandrite Attallah Hanna, 4/1/03
[23] G.W. Bush to Bob Woodward, 2002, interview for Bush at War
[24] Nidal Sakr, Spokesperson for The March for Justice
[25] G.W. Bush, 7/2/03, in response to attacks on US troops in Iraq (quoted throughout media)
