Dispatch from Baghdad and Racist Views

Dear Editor,

After 42 straight hours of traveling and barely nine hours of truncated sleep, I arrived at our hotel in Baghdad. From the federal security guards at LAX to our fellow airline passengers, we've received enthusiastic and heartfelt wishes for our mission.

The last leg of the trip was a grueling 18-hour car trip from Amman, Jordan to Baghdad, with a 2-hour "lay-over" at the Iraqi border. The border guards bent over backwards to facilitate our border crossing, serving us tea, allowing us to rest on couches in their lounge -- they did everything but serve us Girl Scout cookies.

During our 7-hour layover in Amsterdam, an American man approached our pink-clad group and offered a cup of coffee if someone would explain what we were doing. Bleary-eyed and caffeine-deprived, I immediately volunteered.

Nathan was a member of the Special Forces during the gulf war and has been working in Kuwait as a private consultant for the military. He isn't sure if the war is warranted, but made the case for it in response to my questions.

He has been training soldiers in Kuwait. Until a year ago, their training had been in defense; now it is in attack. He says Iraqi dissidents are being trained in Turkey to maintain civilian systems (electricity, water) in the event of war. I said it sounded as if we were going to war. He said he was tired and has seen too much: "I've seen things that get replayed and replayed."

I awoke the next morning in the car on the desolate road between Amman and the Iraqi border to a sky alive with stars and a mezmerizingly bright Venus low on the horizon, a blaze of light bathing this ancient holy land.

Venus. The Morning Star. Goddess of Love.

I hope Nathan is wrong.

Kelly Hayes-Raitt
(Eds. note: Kelly Hayes-Raitt, a member of Santa Monica's Commission on the Status of Women, is one of ten women from Southern California joining a humanitarian mission to Baghdad. This is the first in a series of dispatches she plans to send from the Iraqi capital. "Destination Baghdad," Jan. 29))

February 5, 2003

Dear Editor,

"The Jews have turned Central and Eastern Europe into the largest Christian cemetery in the world. Jews have also turned the Holocaust into the biggest cash cow of all time." -- Dana Alvi; Polish American Public Relations Committee, Santa Monica.

I do not agree with the preceding statement, I find it to be quite terrifying. Being a Youth Minister, I work with both Christian and Jewish children, and the thought that local Santa Monica children live with such views around them is ghastly to me.

Ironically enough, I am limited in what I can say for fear of my church being sued for libel. I cannot even take the chance stating the groups publicly, but I can make a suggestion.

What would it be like if the parents of Santa Monica Youth decided to say that we have had enough of the First Amendment being used as a shield by groups like the KKK? What if Santa Monica decided to use that same shield to fight back! What if we used that same shield to band together and tell those who would spread hate to pack their bags and LEAVE!

What if we build a Web site that keeps Santa Monica parents informed of local groups and businesses that have racist views, or have ties to companies that promote child labor, market children for drugs and alcohol, etc.? If any in the city (especially attorneys) are interested in contributing, I can be E-mailed directly at Sensei@CaliforniaKarateClub.com.