{"id":1454,"date":"2006-10-17T17:22:00","date_gmt":"2006-10-17T17:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/reformedchicksblabbing\/2006\/10\/this-is-who-we-are.html"},"modified":"2006-10-17T17:22:00","modified_gmt":"2006-10-17T17:22:00","slug":"this-is-who-we-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/reformedchicksblabbing\/2006\/10\/this-is-who-we-are.html","title":{"rendered":"This is who we are"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s no getting around it, we aren’t a very loyal people. We are fickle and self-centered and we only care about our freedom and not the freedom of those who live under oppression. We scream for more money for education (even though we spend billions of dollars in education), less for helping the Iraqis protect their country from Iranian and Syrian terrorists. We whine and complain that we aren’t getting the things we need when there are nations who would love to educate their daughters without it leading to violence.
\nHere, look in the mirror<\/a> and see who we are:<\/p>\n

\n

\n

Dear Excellency and Friend,<\/p>\n

I thank you very sincerely for your letter and for your offer to transport me towards freedom. I cannot, alas, leave in such a cowardly fashion. As for you, and in particular for your great country, I never believed for a moment that you would have this sentiment of abandoning a people which has chosen liberty. You have refused us your protection, and we can do nothing about it. You leave, and my wish is that you and your country will find happiness under this sky. But, mark it well, that if I shall die here on this spot and in my country that I love, it is no matter, because we all are born and must die. I have only committed the mistake of believing you<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Those are the words of Sirik Matak who was offered the opportunity to leave when the Khmer Rouge were about to take over the city. According to Michael Rubin:<\/p>\n

The Khmer Rouge shot Matak in the stomach. He took three days to die.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If we pull out of Iraq now, no one will trust us again and we will have made many enemies.<\/p>\n

Tags: Iraq<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s no getting around it, we aren’t a very loyal people. We are fickle and self-centered and we only care about our freedom and not the freedom of those who live under oppression. 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