Generous, sensitive and politically correct children

Firstly..this is not a thread about the Boston bombings. It's thread about this weird thing that keeps poking me in the eye...

check out this pic...apparently these are Iraqi children. I have no source for the photo. I took it off my local news portal.



How old are these kids...7? 8? 9?

Iraqi children at that age write perfect English...with a beautiful handwriting ? Sure.

So what's the problem here you ask. Obviously kids didn't do this. Maybe parents did it for them. Ok I say. Let's say that kids didn't make it...somebody else did. But why make it and make the kids walk around with it, having their picture taken for the news ?

Would you accept that the kids did this on their own spurious? Are kids at that age aware...do they care? I certainly know for sure...that kids back here in my country at that age don't know anything about Boston bombing...and I can tell you for sure...that there aren't any kids on the streets, carrying signs for support of the victims.

I suspect that kids are used as tools for marketing purposes here...but I don't know by whom...and to what end ?

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly
I would say that whoever got the kids to pose for the picture asked them to hold a pre-made sign that they (whoever was photographing) had made. If the kids even know about the Boston bombings I'm sure they probably feel compassion for those injured and killed, but I'm just guessing that somebody said "Here, hold this sign and try to look sad and you'll be stars". I hope they got some money out of the photographer.

Yeah all those US school kids who made signs about Haiti or Katrina...

What a bunch of politically correct BS right? I'm glad you're sick of it too OP it's time we stop helping kids make signs that are legible and coherent and teaching them that caring could be a good idea.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by MarioOnTheFly

 

I would say that whoever got the kids to pose for the picture asked them to hold a pre-made sign that they (whoever was photographing) had made. If the kids even know about the Boston bombings I'm sure they probably feel compassion for those injured and killed, but I'm just guessing that somebody said "Here, hold this sign and try to look sad and you'll be stars". I hope they got some money out of the photographer.

That is most probably the scenario...but that leaves my last question...to what end...? Who is getting brownie points for this and from whom?

reply to post by Hawking


You are missing the point man. I have no problem with kids being caring and sensitive. The problem is...they aren't usually. And I'm finding it hard to believe that Iraqi kids, know or even care about Boston. I'm just saying...somebody else did this and made the kids pose for the photo.

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly
I would think it is suppose to show that even though we (the US) has blown Iraq to hell and pretty much left them worse off than they were before ousting Saddam that they really "love" Americans. Gotta keep the big PR machine rolling!

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly


Explanation: S&F!

I see nothing being sold ... except maybe the idea that 'we are all connected'!

Personal Disclosure: However I am not an arabic script reading person and I also have no clues as to what is ment by 'MPT'?

The conspiracist in me notes the boy on the left hand side [our left] is making a hand gesture that may considered quite provacative and alarming ... however I am deeply reminded that the USA was in Iraq for a decade and so both the well written english and the hand gesture and also the apparent need to 'reach out and connect' with the USA in such an obvious manner is completely explainable by that military presence having a deep impact on such impressionable young Iraqi minds.

I think and feel this picture is quite benign in the conspiracy sense and yet is still quite evocative considering the immediate impact the boston marathon bombing is currently having across the world.

I thank the OP'er for bringing this to my attention span! It was a good story that seems genuinely heartfelt IMO!

forget about if the kids did this on their own or did the parents write it. in all honesty how do you know that is even the wording on the sign in an original picture? this whole person/animal or whatever holding a sign thing is being used all over facebook normally with something like "something good if i get so many likes/shares". in many cases the words on their sign are added by some poster without the original person even knowing about it, the picture being taken from somewhere on the net like a person's private pictures. for all we know the original sign could say something like "eat at Omar's place for good food", or even "death to all Americans", you just don't know. as such i now take any sign holding picture with a large grain of salt.

reply to post by generik

whatever holding a sign thing is being used all over facebook normally with something like "something good if i get so many likes/shares".

hm...I must admit...something so "benign" never crossed my mind

Gathering likes...although sick...it is plausible.

Thanks for contributing.

Originally posted by littled16
reply to post by MarioOnTheFly

 

they really "love" Americans. Gotta keep the big PR machine rolling!

That was my first instinctive reaction.

Originally posted by MarioOnTheFly
reply to post by Hawking

 

You are missing the point man. I have no problem with kids being caring and sensitive. The problem is...they aren't usually. And I'm finding it hard to believe that Iraqi kids, know or even care about Boston. I'm just saying...somebody else did this and made the kids pose for the photo.

Having kids myself, I tend to agree with you. They are (a lot of them) kind of selfish and self serving when they are young. I think a lot of times empathy comes with experience which usually comes with time. That being said, I would think these kids would know empathy for another living being at an earlier age because they have grown up within a war zone themselves. A lot of them have seen bombings and the aftermath left by them. This experience would help them to know what others would feel in a similar situation IMO.

If it is fake.... other than facebook views or something equally as ignorant would be my guess for staging it. It's a sad thing to say, but it does happen.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

I would think these kids would know empathy for another living being at an earlier age because they have grown up within a war zone themselves. A lot of them have seen bombings and the aftermath left by them

That could be one outcome, or thy could grow resentment of those that bombed them. Anyway...picture is certainly staged. No way kids did it. They posed and probably in that moment, had no idea what it's about. Most likely...this really could be over facebook likes...what a sad state of affairs.

Geez, does it matter? Isn't it the sentiment and the idea that kids wanted to participate in it what's important? Don't you think that, if any place might be able to commiserate with the horror and tragedy that comes with senseless acts of terror - it's Iraq?


After everything, I'm fully impressed and touched that anyone over
there gives a damn about us.

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly


Amazing.

So a 9 year old in Iraq cannot write legibly? In English? Your ignorance and intolerance of other cultures is a bit disturbing. I may not trust people but I'm certainly not going to underestimate their abilities. What if those 2 boys were American? Would you still be questioning their motives?

So children are born bad with no empathy? I don't buy it for a second. Kids learn from their parents and their surroundings. If the kids have no empathy it's because that's what they were taught. It's that simple. And what YOU are trying to teach people is that if someone is being nice for the sake of it, children no less, there's a sinister agenda behind it? No, if adults do it, then you question it. If children do it, go with it. No offense, but I sure hope you're not a parent. Your kid would be holding an AK assault instead, I'm sure. Not every adult in Iraq is a warmongering pistol waver who straps bombs and misleading signs to their kids OP, if you believe that I feel sorry for you.

Sorry, but yours has to be about the most insensitive, closed-minded and ignorant post I've seen here in quite some time. And that's saying a lot. The bottom line is yes, this is a hard call. But I'll err on the side of being cautiously optimistic here simply because they're kids.

Really, if you don't give kids the benefit of the doubt, what chance do they have in growing up right?

reply to post by Taupin Desciple

So a 9 year old in Iraq cannot write legibly? In English? Your ignorance and intolerance of other cultures is a bit disturbing. I may not trust people but I'm certainly not going to underestimate their abilities. What if those 2 boys were American? Would you still be questioning their motives?

No, a 9 year old from a war stricken Iraq...no...probably does not speak english...even less in writing. And it's not about abilities...it's about circumstances. You realize there was a war out there. Education is not the first on the list of priorities when being in a war.

So you're saying that you would be more surprised to find 9-year old Iraqis that don't know english ? obviously you feel it's something Iraqi kids are born with...an intimate knowledge of the English language...

And...btw...American kids know english language..you see...it is their mother tongue..therefore...I wouldn't be all that surprised to see them writing and speaking english.

reply to post by kosmicjack

Geez, does it matter? Isn't it the sentiment and the idea that kids wanted to participate in it what's important? Don't you think that, if any place might be able to commiserate with the horror and tragedy that comes with senseless acts of terror - it's Iraq?

Well...the motives always matter. At least they do...everywhere in the system. Even if you commit a crime...they want to know the motive.

wouldn't you agree that sometimes the prettiest and the most benign of actions can be used for sinister purposes ?

The hand gesture is American sign language for I love you. Which does not help with credibility, I seriously doubt Iraqi children would have occasion to know or use American sign language.

here is a pic of a boy from an English speaking world:




It sort of shows the writing abilities...of a English speaking 8 year old....compare it with the pristine writing from the OP.

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly


But how is it sinister to commiserate and offer sympathy?

As for Iraqi children being familiar with American language or mannerisms...no culture is more marketed or exported than ours.

So what if someone wrote it or even asked them to hold it? The sentiment is still there, someone there feels for us.

reply to post by MarioOnTheFly


Can you just accept this nice gesture of solidarity without trying to poke holes in it?

What kind of a sad life are you living?