Memoir

British War Correspondent

(Hindsight is always 20/20.  We’ve learned a lot about the war in Iraq since I wrote this.  However, I am including this letter because it was written during the London protest of the war–the biggest anti-war protest in the world was going on just down the street from me and most people were angry at Americans.)

Dear Family and Friends,

I am in a politically tense area at the moment. I thought you might want to get some insider views on Britain and Iraq. I sit in a unique position. I am an international law politics student studying at a university just outside of London where as I type there is the largest anti-war protest gathering momentum in the world. I don’t live with Americans. In fact there are few Americans here. People have been more and more open with their opposition to the United States right to my face. I have studied international law on the subject and have heard all the varying opinions about the war with Iraq. I am sorry to report that Britain has not been a place of intellectual freedom for the past few months I have been here. I have not felt safe to express any pro-American view points at all even though there are arguments for both sides of the debate. There is little academic balance. Some of my hall mates are now in London marching at Hyde Park against the war. I think it is more than a peace protest; however, it has an anti-American imperialism element to it. In Britain people are not only protesting the war but their ability to have a voice in the government. They believe that if they cannot sway Blair with the majority of the peoples’ voices against him, then democracy in Britain is also precarious. Amidst the political tension which is strong today there is a voice. Tony Blair. I have been listening to BBC on my computer. He is the only president in the entire world besides the Iraqies who does not have his people behind him. He is thought by many to be committing political suicide. He stands behind America. Even some of his own Cabinet are turning against him. I have been asking myself why. Whether or not the war is a good thing, he is willing to stand up for something he believes in. He is growing in my mind a man of heroism not just because he is supporting America but also because of his integrity. CNN.com

Mass rallies oppose war in Iraq

Saturday, February 15, 2003 Posted: 8:15 AM EST (1315 GMT)Several lawmakers from Blair’s Labour Party will be among the protesters, including former Northern Ireland secretary Mo Mowlam, reflecting unease felt by many of Blair’s center-left and labor union supporters. In a message to those taking part in the demonstrations, Blair said on Saturday: “I ask the marchers to understand this: I do not seek unpopularity as a badge of honour. But sometimes it is the price of leadership and the cost of conviction.” He added: “As you watch your TV pictures of the march, ponder this: if there are 500,000 on that march, that is still less than the number of people whose deaths Saddam has been responsible for. “If there are one million, that is still less than the number of people who died in the wars he started.”

I heard this speech live over the BBC World News Service. It was amazing. I hope you hear it, too. I have noticed that there is so much that people say without realizing the full import of their words. There are no easy answers to the question about Iraq. The answer is never that simple. Whatever the outcome, whatever the correct answer to the crisis at hand, I think that a man who is willing to stand next to his convictions despite the entire world among which are his own people are against him. I think Tony Blair is a man worth admiring. I have learned much being here.I actually am beginning to hear today more balanced views on Iraq. After Blair’s words today in Glasgow (mentioned above), people are starting to come out with a little more support for the war. To date, war is still not the popular view, however.

If you have any questions about Britain and the war, please write.

Britain war correspondent,

—

20 May 2004

Soul Music

It’s amazing what you see from the interpreter’s chair. I spent a lot of time in predominately black high schools. I discovered how unique and different black culture is. One theme through the different schools I went to was the singing and the music. Teacher’s often reprimanded students for singing in class. Someone would hear a line from a song in the comments during class; soon a student would pitch a slow few notes and then most of the rest of the class would strike up their own vocal chords. Of course, unlike the movies, there was disharmony and choppy rhythm, each vocal chord aiming for its own solo. You couldn’t miss the soul with which they sung, though.

Two musical memories have stayed with me. One day when a substitute teacher didn’t control a science class, a group of students accumulated near an experiment table. A beat was drummed onto the table and through the pops and buzz of the lips while students took turns improvising a rap. The rhythm of the experiment table came from the music and from a slow swing in their step.

The second memory came from a chance spotting of a girl half concealed outside the high school in the corner near a supply room. Thinking she was alone, she was half bent-over creating tempo with her rear-end rocking back and forth singing at the top of her lungs. She was only half embarrassed when she caught me watching her.

—

Snippets about my Grandparents

From a recliner in the back room grandpa eulogizes Mormon, the great hundredth-part writer. He can eulogize after attempting his own hundredth-part and ending up with volumes of family history and a need to gain insight into Mormon’s abridgement expertise. What is most precious? His answer may change over time but my new image of Mormon looks a lot like grandpa.

My grandma drives fast and exercises, pushes Israelis and stays up on the news. She edits grandpa’s musings and shops the latest fashions. She loves books and plays in organ recitals and travels (almost as much as Holly does).

–

On the covers of books and the brass on the walls a uniquely grandpa and grandma-ness appear. The pages of carefully written histories tell stories of Middle Eastern adventures, scripture guides, children growing, organ playing, directing, teaching, guiding, reaching.

–

Knowing my grandpa and grandma love each other is the greatest gift a grandchild could have. And to think it all started in a sink in their mission home.