ALL Their Little Girls

by Sarah Bryson

When I decided to respond to a questionnaire on MySpace entitled, “Who I Would Most Like to Meet” I had just arrived home from work, and had begun to check my email. As a public school substitute teacher, I had been assigned that day to teach high school students. The regular teacher, before going home ill, had chosen for the day’s class work a newspaper article about US Foreign policy in the Middle East. Now at home, I was still reeling with emotion from my interaction with my students, when it became quite clear to me who I would most like to meet.

I would like to meet the little girl in the Middle East whose Father was shot by a U.S. soldier while trying to get food for his family, and whose Mother was raped by "loyalists" who thought that her family had given up the faith, and whose Brother ran away to fight the imperialist dogs who invaded his country.

I want to meet the little girl whose leg was blown off at the knee by a land mine while she was trying to dig in the trash by a U.S. army camp looking for something to eat. Yes, I would like to meet this little girl who is starving, living in a war zone, and has been abandoned by humanity. I do not know what I would say to her. Maybe, I would just look into her EYES.

I had first thought about that little girl earlier in the day while I was asking high school students why they love their country. Their collective response was: "because we're strong". When I asked them if they thought the rest of the world liked us, they responded, "Who cares what They think?" and "They are just jealous."

I do not think that the little girl is jealous. I think she would like her family back, the way it used to be, before another country told her that her way of life was not good enough.

My sister wrote that she would like to meet GOD. I know I will meet my maker someday, and that I will be shamed in the presence of the Divine. How can a human with mortal flaws not be? But I know that should I ever meet that little girl, my shame would be greater. For haven't I stood aside and done nothing while an innocent of my own kind has been cast out and thrown away?

If this was upsetting for you to read, know that it was very upsetting to write and that while I was typing, I saw under the sidebar in the News rectangle on my computer, "Wildfire Blazes Behind L.A. Observatory… Truck Bomb Kills 14 in Iraq… O.J. Tossed From Steakhouse on Derby Eve…" Fourteen people killed in between O.J. and a Fire! Are we counting anymore? Was it Ours or Theirs? Does it even matter?

When we, as Americans, see the consequences of War, do we just comment, "Oh, isn't that horrible?” Or, "Such a violent place over there!" Or, "I hope they didn't get any of OUR guys!" I know you have heard these things said or even said them yourself. Are you ashamed? Has any of this changed how you see the War in the Middle East? When you see a ten second blip on the News about the Middle East, will you think about the cost in human lives?

I hope so. Try to imagine Their families, Their desperation, Their lives being torn apart, ...for ALL Their Little Girls.

May 9th, 2007