A Commercial Worth Shooting

The advocacy group is raising money to put an ad on Arab television, apologizing on behalf of "thousands of Americans" for what it calls the Iraqi prison torture scandal.

"The torture scandal continues to grow, and with it the outrage of the Arab world," FaithfulAmerica.org says on its website.

Yet somehow there are Arabs that remain "skeptical". Moreover, some have expressed the thought that Americans need to see this "apology".

That's right, Arabs remain outraged over the actions of 0.007% of Americans in Iraq, while depravation and torture is taking place in Arab prisons each and every day. Fine, I don't really care. Get all indignant while Americans quietly go about the business of rebuilding nations that you turned your backs on. We've done it before and we can do it again.

What I do care about is the poor coverage and outright misinformation campaign that American media is perpetrating on the American public. The "myths" that are created by slanted coverage and are rarely refuted outside of blogs like the StrategyPage, and the good news from Iraq that we must find out from less-than-mainstream channels like small-town papers and Townhall.

How many Americans heard remarks like these from Iraqi leaders thanking America for the sacrifices made in liberating his country?

First in Arabic and then in English, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in his inaugural address to the Iraqi people last Tuesday that "I would like to record our profound gratitude and appreciation to the U.S.-led international coalition, which has made great sacrifices for the liberation of Iraq." In his own remarks, President Ghazi al-Yawer said: "Before I end my speech, I would like us to remember our martyrs who fell in defense of freedom and honor, as well as our friends who fell in the battle for the liberation of Iraq."

But there is more, so much more. Not only are our soldiers rebuilding power stations, water supplies, schools and hospitals, they are going above and beyond. They are voluntarily organizing vast campaigns to bring needed supplies and even a little joy to the children in Iraq and Afghanistan who have suffered so much.

There's Sgt. Hook's Operation Shoe Fly, supplying donated shoes to to Afghan children who have none. There's Chief Wiggle's Operation Give, distributing toys to children in Iraq. There are "mainstream" charities like Spirit of America which are given traction by sites manned by those associated with the military such as Winds of Change.

Americans (and Arabs) need to be reminded of the horror of Saddam's regime. He cut off hands, imprisoned and tortured men for imaginary crimes or simply "disappeared" them into mass graves, and what children didn't starve or die from lack of medical care were imprisoned.

Moveover, Americans (and Arabs) deserve to see the results the efforts of Americans in uniform rebuilding and protecting a budding democracy, and of their ad hoc charity work. The media won't shoot the footage because they don't dare carry the news.

I would like to see a one-minute video segment that goes something like this:

A 9 y.o. girl holds the hand of a man and says, "Saddam had my father arrested and we didn't think we would ever see him again, but American troops released him from prison. Thank you America."

A man says, "Saddam said I was a 'dollar trader' and had my hand cut off. [Holds arm up.] American doctors gave me a new hand ... and restored my dignity. Thank you America!"

A woman says, "Two of my children died from malnutrition while Saddam built palaces. Because Saddam is gone my husband has a job and we can buy food. Thank you America."

A doctor says, "Since the liberation of my country I finally have medicine to save the lives of the children of my village. Thank you America!"

A man holding a soccer ball says, "Odai tortured players when the lost a game. Today our team is getting ready to play for the Olympics without being afraid. Thank you America."

A boy, perhaps 12, says, "I was put into the children's prison because I said Qusai looked like a monkey. I did not see my family or even the sun for 2 years. Then American soldiers opened the doors of the prison and we were all free. Thank you America."

A woman says, "My sons disappeared ten years ago and were finally found in one of Saddam's many mass graves. I have found peace and have the freedom to say out loud that I hate Saddam. Thank you America."

A man says, "For the first time in my life, the school at which I teach has chairs for all the students and books that have facts rather than Saddam's propaganda and lies. Thank you America."

A woman says, "Saddam executed my husband and charged me for the bullet. He imprisoned and tortured two of my sons until American soldiers rescued them. The horror has stopped. Thank you America."

Fade out to waving flags of US and Iraq side by side with voice-over: "The people of Iraq recognize the tremendous sacrifices that America made in liberating their nation, and wish to say [voices in unison], Thank you America."

Now there's a commercial (or three) worth shooting. And sharing with our Arab brethren.

Blog post #3014 in category Leftists, Liberals & Other Silliness

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