12/02/2009 5:00 am
POV
Confessions of a Dove in Afghanistan, by Sara Davidson
I thought I knew what we should do in Afghanistan, until I flew to the country with a group of eight women and one man organized by Code Pink. This is the first part in a series.
I flew to Afghanistan this fall with a group of eight women and one man organized by Code Pink, Women for Peace. Despite a State Department warning against traveling there because of "an ongoing threat to kidnap and assassinate Americans," we felt compelled to learn firsthand what Afghans want and need.
We all arrived believing the U.S. should withdraw its troops and spend more money on development. After eight days in Kabul, though, our presumptions were turned upside down, splitting us into camps with conflicting opinions. Some still wanted an exit strategy, but one woman, who’s spent 40 years in non-violent peace work, reversed her lifelong stand, believing that the military should stay and that more troops might be helpful. "It shocks me to admit this," she said.
What happened to this group in Kabul — how our ideas changed or resisted change — reflects how and why people in living rooms and offices are struggling with the issue: Do we commit or get out?
I’d never been to a war zone before and never participated in a Code Pink action. I signed up for the trip after reading that men were attacking Afghan girls on their way to school by spraying acid in their faces. I called Jodie Evans, a founder of Code Pink, whom I’d known since our kids were in preschool together. "Is your group doing anything to support Afghan women and girls?" I asked. "I’m organizing a trip," she said.
Code Pink was founded in 2001 to protest the invasion of Iraq. It now has 250 chapters and 100,000 members who are known for their nerve and in-your-face tactics. At a White House demonstration, women pulled off their shirts revealing peace doves on their bras and words written on their stomachs with black marker: "Read My Tits: No War in Iraq." I was nervous they’d do something flamboyant in Kabul, but Jodie assured me they would dress and act "respectfully."
A month before we were to leave, suicide bombs and a rocket exploded in Kabul, days before the election. I panicked, but Jodie said she didn’t think Kabul would be any more dangerous than New York City. For weeks I felt I was on my way to be killed, or worse, paralyzed, blinded or brain injured. Every moment became heightened: watching my daughter play piano, walking through a field of aspens. I would think: This could be the last time I hear my daughter play, or see aspens turning gold.
(Image: Jodie Evans and Sara Davidson)
Friends asked why in hell I was going to a place where two New York Times reporters had been kidnapped and hundreds of Americans had been killed. I didn’t know, but something kept pulling me to commit. At times I would think, I can’t handle this; I won’t go, but then the world went flat and gray as it does when one "refuses the call," as Joseph Campbell describes it. Finally, there was a moment when I simply knew I had to go and felt a keen instinct that no harm would come to our group.
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STOP! The baby of the family is going to boot camp in 56 days and I’m freaking out. I’m proud and happy he choose the Navy and not another branch. My father who he was so close to was in the Navy, my husband as well. He was done with school after high school and I saw it and I was the same way I went to college in my 20’s. I turn off Nancy Grace every night right before she remembers someone in the military that died that day. I hate when people find out about him going into boot camp and feel the need to tell me how much danger he’ll be in, it reminds me of being pregnant and people would tell me, I was in labor for 100 years and it was awful. If I could have stopped that pregnancy I would have, I was young and not into natural birth, I didn’t want to feel anymore than I had to. Of course I had only 45mins of labor and almost gave birth in an elevator.
Anyway, I don’t like our guys being over there, I have my own opinion but I support those soliders. i
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I saw a great T shirt- it said "if you can’t get behind our troops feel free to get in front"
I hope these kids get treated better than the guys from Vietnam when they get home.
Thank You
Bobbie R
Bobbie… I don’t think any parent can ever really "let go" of their children. Before leaving for the Middle East (and my second combat tour), I told my Dad that I worried about how he would deal with it if I got killed over there. He responded with a story from his own wartime service: the WWII draft was on, and he figured he should go enlist, in hopes of having at least a little control over his assignment. A friend went with him to sign up; the friend’s mother insisted that her son ask for a duty which was regarded as "safer," which he got. My Dad ended up as a medic in North Africa and Italy; his unit was once very nearly overrun, he was in the landing at Salerno, the battle of Monte Cassino, and others, and never got so much as a scratch. His friend in the "safer" unit was killed in the Pacific.
Then there was my great-grandfather who served in WWI, in some very intense fighting. At the Battle of Soissons, his unit was down to just 18 men. He was twice wounded, but went on to live to 90.
My Dad’s point - maybe he is a little superstitious - was that we all have our individual destinies. Many people go through very dangerous situations and never get hurt. He and I were both lucky. Others are protected and get hurt or killed anyway. Shoot, we all risk our lives every time we get on the road. And talk about mundane: two of my ancestors died falling down the basement stairs, and one died falling off her own porch. At some point, things are just out of our hands.
Thanks to you for supporting our troops, and thanks to your son for his commitment to serving the country.
Thank you, he’s actually a 3rd generation Navy and everyday he calls and says Mom I’m leaving in 56 days. My father was on the ship when Cuba was coming towards the U.S. and President Kennedy was talking to my Dad on the radio, he said he asked if they should continue and Kennedy said yes and Castro must have been saying the same to his guys and my Dad was a little nervous.
My son was over the other day and he’s we’ve always had fun, so he decided to change my ring tone knowing I can answer the maybe text on a good day. I woke up to this awful sound. So, I ordered this doll with my face on it and you can record your (young one a message) I am going to record the awful ring and send it to him at boot camp! He must know I will always get him back! I am going to miss that kid, I know when something is wrong with him I get feeling and he does as well. I raised him by myself and loved every minute. I won’t show emotion when he leaves I tell him how proud I am and he turned out to be a man I truely admire. Then I’ll cry for a week!
Have a great day!
Bobbie R
Bobby, What I’m going to tell you is for two reason, first I was in the Navy and Second I am a Mother too. Unlike you though, neither of my children can serve in the military and I am grateful for that. I figure they had me and my xhusband they don’t need my kids too.
First Navy boot camp is a breeze, If I could make it through anyone can. The only reason I made it through was because I was a dancer, it conditioned my body, the educational part is interesting and fun to learn, about ships, tying knots, fire fighting, swimming, then how to recognize an officer from enlisted, to tell a Seamen from a Petty Officer, etc. It was hard work but with the right frame of mine it was fun. I truly enjoyed it. I went enlisted because I couldn’t boss anyone around, I was more a worker bee, then the Queen.
Secondly, your son picked one of the safest branches of the military. They’re not one the front line, they are the delivery system for the Marines (who are apart of the Navy even if they won’t admit it, remind him of that, but to never put it in the face of a marine unless he wants a fist fight, lol). Advancement can come quick if your willing to work, if you have any college behind your belt you can move up right out of boot camp.
Recruiters LIE, before leaving for boot camp he needs to have everything in writing, taking nothing at face value with a Recruiter, they just want to make quota and do and say whatever they have to, quota is what is all important to them, nothing else (it’s called the Gold Leaf). He should also see if there is a bonus for enlisting in his field and make sure he has that in writing too, after completion of boot camp he will get his bonus. Hopefully he’ll be going to San Diego instead of Great Lakes, it’s really cold up there in the winter, I was stationed there in Jan. 82 where my daughter was born. Not a good place to go through bootcamp in the winter.
Now for the bad news. With the state of world as it is, even though you enlist for 4 years, they don’t have to let you out when your contract is up, there’s a loop hole in the contract to their advantage and no lawyer can get you out of it. These are things that people do not tell the youth of the country who are now entering the services. That is why so many military members are going back overseas time and time again, that loop hole, allowing them to be called back to active duty. Anyone on reserve duty or newly release in good health can be called back to Active Duty as seen fit by the Government. This keeps us from enacting a Draft.
Hope this info will give you info you didn’t have, and will help your Son, Safe Seas to him Bobbie. God Bless :)
Medea––interesting name given the circumstances––ignoring the official garb, was not only putting herself in danger, but endangering the group itself. Perhaps tomorrow’s piece will elaborate further as to exactly what their mission was besides seeing for themselves the situation on the ground. If journalists, who have been covering this area for years, tell us that Afghans don’t tell the truth because they fear the Taliban, what makes these Code Pinkers think they will be different? Perhaps the Afghan women are more courageous, but they, too, have to protect their children and family. I understand the need to get involved, but to put their lives on the line in this situation is precarious and very, very risky.
The display of dove coded bras and black marker messages on tummies is quite outrageous. I would love to know the reaction they got.
I’m not certain what their mission was, other than to see first hand what the conditions were. Seems very risky for curiosity’s sake. I am sorry we are committing more troops to that area, although I understand why. I also understand we need support from allies, and that seems unlikely.
This is a country that has steep negatives on all fronts: freedom, education, health, and women’s empowerment. How a surge may correct or even improve that in two years is a mystery. General McChrystal previously said our military presence will be needed there for a decade or more. That suggests another nation building project, which will be very expensive. My local news outlets and papers inform me daily that we need to take care of nation building right here at home.
Maggie, we are already nation-building over there. Please check out these links to see what the Panjshir Provincial Reconstruction Team has been doing; we have many of these teams all over the country doing this kind of work, but I highlight Panjshir PRT here in honor of my friend Lt Col Mark Stratton, who died this year while in command of the PRT.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=53834
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123145225
http://www.nato.int/isaf/docu/pressreleases/2009/02/pr090225-185.html
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=94792339359
http://afghanistan.pigstye.net/article.php?story=MarkEStratton
Thank you for the links. Yes, I am aware that reconstruction as well as new construction are taking place, and that is very good for Afghans. That road building also will serve our soldiers and convoys well. My concern is many fold. 920 Americans have died in Afghanistan since 2001; 298 died last year. How many more will meet that same fate? How many times can we continue to redeploy our soldiers without having them crack? Where will we get all these soldiers without a draft, and how will we continue to finance this when we are already a deeply indebted nation… up to our eyeballs. General McChrystal wrote that the war would probably be won within the next 18 months. But administration officials say the Taliban cannot be eliminated but "weakened so it cannot threaten the central government". Central government? What central government. Karzai and his drug king brother?
Karl Eikenberry, US envoy, insists sending more troops will only make that corrupt government more dependent on our military and prolong our involvement there indefinitely. The Taliban will only go under ground until Americans leave.
I guess it may be considered unfair to comment pontifically, without reading what is purported to follow tomorrow. But, to this point, I have read enough to prompt me to comment that I think this whole exercise was completely foolhardy, ridiculous and entirely stupid. Follow-up to this article only seems destined to prove further how nuts these people are. The situation in Afghanistan, as most of us should by now realize, is deadly serious and terribly complex. What on earth could an off-beat and rag-tag group of do-gooders who obviously know very little about what the actual situation is in that war-weary and war-torn country, possibly imagine they could seriously accomplish by putting themselves in such a ridiculous and tenuous position. It boggles my mind to read such foolishness; and these people pretend to be intelligent. Couldn’t they have restrained their self-centered ambitions sufficiently to realize the enormous problem this kind of reckless exercise would cause the American government to have to negotiate for their release from the ruthless, barbaric, and hostage hungry Taliban ?