Kat's Scribbles

Monday, March 17, 2003

Ok. So I just watched the President's speech a little while ago. This whole deal with this war is at once very real, yet somehow remote. I can't quite explain it. I know it's there, it's happening, but since we know it's happening over there in Iraq, the impact of it all takes a bit longer to get to you. Almost like, I don't feel it affecting me, but I do care. While America is a great country, I feel like they (the government) do tend to take on this omnipotent, "we rule, you follow us" stance when it comes to world politics. I'm not the most informed person about this whole Iraq situation, but I do think that Bush trying waay to hard to convince us all that Saddam is a current threat. Heck, Saddam's been around, and only now has Bush come up with this idea that he will lead America into greatness if he forces him to a give up his stash of weapons. I can't help but think, "why now, all of a sudden? Just because the whole Osama thing is going nowhere, Bush has just suddenly latched on to this new idea." I know he has this country's best interest at heart, but there's just this air of pretense surrounding it all.

I'm not as scared as some people about us going to war. In fact, this is probably the only time I'm ever really given much thought about it. But I am still concerend nonetheless. It's crazy to think what will happen here in NY/NJ when Saddam doesn't do what Bush ordered him to do come Wednesday evening/Thursday morning. I feel for those folks who have loved ones in the military. I feel for everyone really, especially the Iraqi people who will bear the brunt of it all. It's such a volatile time, but I hope that everyone is safe.

This whole war thing made me realize that I've lived through a lot of the U.S.'s historical moments. While I was living in Los Angeles, CA, I lived through the L.A. Riots sparked by the Rodney King incident. I remember living in our townhouse at the time and seeing and hearing some folks shoot actual guns from the rooftops of the buildings across from us. I remember my dad telling us to duck, and I remember my friend's parents losing their pizza business due to looting. At that time, I didn't really appreciate the gravity of the situation, and how the event would carry such a deeper meaning for years to come. But I was there. Then, I lived through the crazy earthquake of 1994 (year, not sure, but there was a lot of damage), also in Los Angeles. I remember my school being shut down for a week because they had to remove our church's steeple because it had cracks in it.

Then, September 11, 2001 came as well. I was a third-year law student at the time, going to New York Law School which is only 8 blocks away from the World Trade Center. Heck, I used to go over there all the time w/ some friends. I remember skipping class that morning because I had an interview and wanted to go in late. I went to the gym, got home, turned on the news and saw the craziness. It looked like a movie. To think I could've been trapped in that area like some of my friends were. It was amazing to see the places we went to, hung out at, all covered with ash, soot, debris, you name it. Our school was closed for three weeks because we didn't have any electricity. I remember refusing to walk south of Chambers St. because I just didn't need to see it for months afterward. Even though I was right there, I didn't go to visit Ground Zero until after they removed everything.

POSTED BY KAT AT 3/17/2003 10:37:00 PM |

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