Painful Joy

A powerful and disturbing political cartoon from Iraq the Model, here. Bear in mind the cartoonist is Iraqi. I've read stories about people doing horrific, painful things to themselves to escape death, and wondered if I would have the resolution to do it myself. I guess when you've lived with real torture (as opposed to the stuff that gets the Media all worked up -- you know, making prisoners listen to pop music?) pain and death are not strange to you. If you knew the other choice was getting fed feet first into a plastic shredder, would you cut off your feet to escape? And be glad that you had the choice, instead of none at all?

I wish the Iraqi people could go right to boring PTA meetings and arguments about zoning, but there are a few idiots who won't let that happen without a fight. A fight is what they are going to get. These people are tough, and have survived hell. They will do what needs to be done, bandage their wounds, and then go shopping for new feet. A'ash al Iraq!