I found it very touching how often children were interviewed for the documentary. All the children spoken to (siblings, classmates, etc. ) were exceptionally well-versed and seemed to have (at least a minimal) understanding of the violent conflict that dictates their everyday lives. It seemed very sad to me that a young girl felt the need to defend to cameras that she and her fellow Palestinians were not necessarily terrorists. I grew up in the United States and feel that I was constantly sheltered from violence--movies and television that featured violent content were turned off when I entered a room, and I certainly never witnessed death. Not only did the children in the documentary understand death, but they were also capable of maturly discussing it's causes and implications.
On another note, I was fairly distrubed by the prison scene in which Rachel's mother visits the woman who attempted a suicide bombing. Consistent with what I have already written in the Blackboard Discussion Board, I feel that the citizens of both countries suffer for what should be a diplomatic conflict over land rights. It is appaling to me that the three women can discuss suicide bombing in such a way that they empathize with the pain it causes, but still feel that they are necessary and justified. The attempted suicide bomber even notes that "regardless of religion a mother is a mother." This comment alone ties into several, equally alarming themes. First of all, it indicates that both sides equate religous differences with what is strictly a political conflict. Secondly, it suggests that people are learning to hate other peope because of political differences.
I am not surprised that some historians believe the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be a "clash of civilizations." The documentary does not try to mask the fact that Israelis lead more modern, Western lives than Palestinians--Ayat's family does not speak English to the cameras and dress much more conservatively. Additionally, Rachel's family is clearly less educated and are consequently depicted as pushy and abrasive. Because of these factors, I can't help but think that the whole documentary (although touching) is little more than a ploy to tap into the pathos of Western audiences. Both sides are romanticized and oversimplified into what Westerners do not expect to see.
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The sheltering of Americans towards violence has come up in other history classes I have been in, one professor that was in Mexico commented on the fact that young children shouldn't have been watching a violent film in a theater to a friend. The person responded that it must be nice to be an American who has the priviledge of making that decision (able to shelter kids from violence).
ReplyDeleteIt was extremely sad that young people were exposed to the violence, specifically the Palestinians, and this trauma could result in acts of violence, as Ayat acted out.
I appreciate your comment about violence in Mexico. I think that this supports (if not definitely proves) that America is fairly isolated in it's practice of sheltering children from violence. The Middle East and Latin America are very far apart in not only distance, but also culture and political circumstance.
ReplyDeleteI agree no matter where you grow up in the United States, you still will never know how prevelant and brutal violence is around the world. I feel that everything is so downplayed in the media that when something like 9/11 hits us, we see the true hatred that is aimed at us. This hatred and brutality can be found everywhere in this world, we just need to open our sheltered eyes to see it.
ReplyDeleteI understand the extreme distance and cultural differences between the Middle East and Latin America (I was not trying to compare two different societies), but simply agreed with what you said about American children being sheltered from violence.
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