Jeannina Perez
WST 3015
April 4, 2010
Road Trip
By Riverbend
“We heard the usual instructions before we left- stop at checkpoints, return before dark and if anyone wants the car, give them the keys- don’t argue, don’t fight it.” This is the personal reflection of Riverbend on a “Road Trip” to an aunt’s house. Her reflection of this day was descriptive of the usual day spent in Iraq since the war started. Nothing has been the same. Riverbend notes that “Being out in the streets is like being caught in a tornado. You have to be alert and ready for anything every moment.” It is sad to read how much a country has changed and the people within the country. In this particular blog entry, Riverbend wants to educate readers on the realities of everyday life in Iraq. As her and families members try to travel through the streets of Iraq, terror strikes and lurk everywhere. Riverbend also expands and informs readers of the creation of gangs. Many people have organized and recruited people into gangs in order to obtain power and gain the scarce resources left. These gangs thus form borders that tell people living in certain district where to go, what is safe, and where not to cross. Gloria Anzaldua reflects on similar images when she notes that, “Borders are set up to define the places that are safe and unsafe, to distinguish us from them (393).” Anzaldua also states that borders are, “…a constant state of transition (393).” This is exactly what Riverbend is speaking of, a constant state of transition where there is frequent hostility and a constant state of alertness. Riverbend wants readers to understand “The ride that took 20 minutes pre-war Iraq, took 45 minutes today.” Her life, and for the lives of those around her, is no longer what it used to be, and danger lurks even with the countenance of one’s face upon another.
According to Kirk and Okazawa-Rey on Globalization and Militarism, “In the current war on Iraq, a key issue is access to oil to supplies.” Furthermore, as Riverbend mentions herself, “Gasoline lines drive people crazy because, prior to the war, the price of gasoline in Iraq was ridiculously low. A liter of gasoline (unleaded) cost around 20 Iraqi Dinars when one US dollar equaled 2,000 Iraqi dinars. In other words, 1 liter of gasoline cost one cent! A liter of bottled water cost more than gasoline. Not only does it cost more now, but it isn’t easy to get. I think they’re importing gasoline from Saudi Arabia and Turkey.”
In conclusion, Riverbend notes the everyday struggles that are prevalent. From picking up gas, to travelling to an aunt’s house, nothing is the same with new foreign and domestic hostilities. Riverbend aspires to inform readers of personal reflections that go sometimes un-noticed by people who are not on “that side of the border.”
Works Cited:
Riverbend. "Road Trip." Web log post. Baghdad Burning. Blogger, 30 Aug. 2003. Web. 4 Apr. 2010.
Seely, Megan. Fight like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist. New York: New York UP, 2007. Print.
its amazing how her personal descriptions of the day has such a powerful impact on discussion of Iraqi people
ReplyDeleteVery true. Her comments and post allow many people to see inside of a wounded country. She helps clear up any misconceptions while at the same time allowing her viewers to get an insight into what goes on personally and globally.
ReplyDeleteI think what is very important about what she does is her accesability. Some of the things that she talks about we may have heard from mainstream media, but we may not realize the true impact of it because we see them as the "other".
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