Throwing a shoe is a paltry action that most Americans overlook, but in other parts in the world, the act is a profound sign of disrespect and incivility. It all started in ancient times, where people were stoned to death for crimes; then this punishment spread to theaters, when crowds would throw rotten vegetables at unsatisfactory performers. Nowadays, we’ve emerged as a shoe-throwing, name-calling populous.

If you really look hard, you can see examples of shoe-throwing all throughout society. In Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery,  released in 1997, Mike Myers, who plays the comedic, raunchy agent Austin Powers, gets a little more that he ordered in this scene, Austin Powers on YouTube. Also in 2003, moments after Marines liberated Baghdad and toppled the statue of Saddam Husein, Iraqis bombarded the statue as well as portraits of Saddam with myriad of shoes. People even throw their shoes around telephone wires, though most would agree that it really has nothing to do with a political statement or comedy as much as a clichéd act that can be reminisced every time you look up.

The most recent of shoe-throwing act: the confrontation between Iraqi reporter Muntader al-Zaidi and President George W. Bush. At a press conference following Bush’s secret trip to Iraq and Afghanistan, a reporter stood up, and threw his shoes at the President. During this incident, the reporter also shouted at Bush, “this is the farewell kiss you dog. . . you are responsible for the death of thousands of Iraqis!”  GWB gets a shoeful

Whatever the case,  shoe-throwing is slowly becoming more frequent in the news today. The reporter having enough courage to throw the shoe at Bush shows the animosity between Iraq and the United States, a hatred that will not dissipate at the transition of power from Bush to Obama. America must not overlook the act. We must use it as a driving force to better our foreign relations, or someday, it might not only be Iraq throwing shoes.