Iraqi Shiites are burnig Bush effigies

I guess it symbolizes their hatred and displays it to the world. I guess I'm naive or something, but I wonder why people don't think of how they would feel if someone made this type of display toward someone whom they loved or cared about. It is heinous. Not that I have any love for Bush, but I'm sure his family loves him. And for the people who make this display I'm sure their are people who they love that it would hurt them to see a display like that carried out about them.

Effigies are a tool in a form of religious belief system called sympathetic religion. This can be equated with voodoo and hoodoo dolls as well as the early peoples drawing animals on cave walls and throwing thier spears at the pictures. This was done to help ensure a good and productive hunt as well as hunting abilities. Basically these things are used to boost confidence even if that isn't the primamry reason always given. The burning signifies thier malice and hate for Bush as well as thier hopes for his well being. They fact that they do this publicly means that the act is suppose to strike fear in the hearts of ( in this case I would guess) infadels.

I sure don't see what these kinds of actions accomplish other than to show us that a significant segment of the Iraqi population will always hate us for invading their country. To me it shows these people are primitive and believe violence is the only answer to any differences and I doubt that will ever change. Annie