Plain Bill wrote:

I interpret this as her son dumping litter (150 water bottles) and
then making fun of the Iraqis until they cleaned up the mess he made.

I was trying to tell a simple story and PB apparently wants to make a big
deal of it, so in my son's honor.

1.) The Iraqis threw their water bottles on the ground after drinking them
(even though garbage cans are provided).

2.) My son, shocked after all the anti-litter propaganda he's been taught
in the US public school system, decided to do an experiment. If he picked
up a bunch of the bottles, he estimated 150, and put them in an area where
they had to walk thru, would they pick them up "bag available" or just walk
thru them?

3.) They, the guards, were watching from off in a distance, not standing
over anyone pointing their guns.

4.) After several Iraqis walked thru the bottles kicking them hither and
yon, finally one of the Iraqi students started picking them up and putting
them in the bag provided.

5.) At that time, the guards came over and gave the other Iraqis, who would
standing around just watching the one pick them up, a bad time (remember
these are kids 19-20 yo) about walking thru it, and throwing them on the
ground in the first place, and then watching 1 person do the smart thing.
Afterall it is their country and they should CARE.

6.) So basically they were giving them a anti-litter lesson. Would you
expect less of someone this age from our school systems? It's not like they
go thru sensitive training in the Army. One of their mottos is, we're here
to protect democracy not practice it.

7.) The Iraqis have their own little things to get back at the US guys,
which I'm hoping is just basically this age group way of *getting your goat
because it bugs you* stuff.

7.) After my son IMed the story regarding the bottles I said, "You have to
understand that these people have been living hard very controlled lives,
and lately just surviving is on their minds, not their environment.

How's that PB? ~ jan


(Do you know where your water quality is?)