People with different political backgrounds have told me several times that I should not judge Iraqis too harshly. Instead, I should sympathize with their plight because many of them, despite oil reserves, are poor and uneducated.
Still, just as I don't sympathize with ignorant Americans who behave foolishly, I can't get myself to feel anything about Iraqis but exasperation.
Only so much of their behavior since April 9 can be sympathized with, the rest ... well, I've been doing a lot of under-my-breath muttering.
In the weeks since Saddam Hussein was overthrown, Americans have received coverage of the looting of Baghdad and of increasing protests over the continued presence of American soldiers.
Throughout the news reports is the familiar strain of the crowds using phrases like, "evil American imperialist."
After the liberation of Iraqis from a dictator who surreptitiously arrested, imprisoned, tortured and murdered countless Iraqi citizens, half of the Iraqi population seems content to destroy their own country. The other half is content to blame the U.S. military for what Iraqis are doing.
Now, protests are increasing about the continued presence of U.S. soldiers. It has not even been a month since the fighting slowed significantly and they want us gone?
They don't have an interim government in place, the U.N. is moving at a snail pace, they have already had two countrymen imprisoned for declaring themselves the Mayors of Baghdad, and we're supposed to head on home?
During a protest of the American presence on Monday, several demonstrators were injured when U.S. soldiers opened fire. The accounts vary as to who shot first. Some witnesses reported soldiers firing on the protesters without provocation, while others say some in the crowd shot at the soldiers.
Even the soldiers' accounts vary, with some soldiers saying the protesters shot at them. Other soldiers reported the throwing of rocks as the trigger of the U.S. gunfire.
The reports of the injuries and deaths vary among media outlets. The Washington Post relayed the local officials' count of the dead at 13 Iraqi civilians, with at least 75 injured. No soldiers were harmed.
With such garbled accounts, it is difficult to place blame, though the Iraqis are quite prepared to do so, saying once again that the U.S. military needs to go home.
I would love to see what would happen if Bush did decide to bring all the troops home tomorrow. Obviously, chaos would ensue. Iran would probably send people in to "help" and we'd have another lovely Islamic fundamentalist government on our hands.
Last week, The Arizona Republic printed a story about the restoration of electricity to parts of Baghdad. Iraqis celebrated by leaving their lights on all day long and shooting AK-47s into the air.
This behavior is the type that gets my eyes rolling. I can account for the inconsideration of leaving lights on all day, regardless of the energy waste, by saying it comes from not knowing any better.
But the practice of celebrating by spraying bullets into the air - What is this? An entire wedding party was obliterated by the United States in Afghanistan after engaging in this activity. Yet, they continue to think this is a good way to express happiness.
It would seem prudent for Iraqis to act with some amount of common sense at this point in their history. Next time they think to celebrate with their AK-47s, there could be a repeat of the disaster in Afghanistan. And they want us to leave?
But if or (more likely) when such an incident occurs, I doubt there will be much soul searching on the part of the perpetrators. The old, tired refrain of the evil American works too well.
As often happens with U.S. foreign policy, we are in a no-win situation. Give them the autonomy that they desire and we will see a new dictator within a year.
Stay in the region and try to work with them to rebuild a nation that actually gives its citizens some rights and we remain evil American imperialists.
Sometimes it is so hard being number one.
Should America stay or go? Post your opinion in the forum below.
Kym Levesque is a journalism junior. Reach her at kymberly.levesque@asu.edu.