THE REAL CASUALTY COUNT IN IRAQ
There was a lot of press the other day when the casualties in Iraq reached 4000.
Why not at 3999? I guess 4000 is more dramatic.
Each one of these young Americans is indelibly connected to at least ten people. Mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, children and siblings.
When someone dies who is that close to you, something dies inside of you. You are never the same. There is an empty space that is never filled – a wound that never heals.
So the casualty rate is really closer to 40,000.
Tom Stine, who is a personal growth blogger, wrote an article yesterday. The title was Time to End the War in Iraq.
Here, in part, is what he said so eloquently that I don’t feel I have to repeat it.
“While mine is a blog devoted to discussing spirituality, consciousness and awakening, today marks a moment in time when I feel I cannot keep silent any longer. I feel that I must stand up and be counted. And today I choose to be counted as a lover of peace amongst men. It is time to bring the troops home. It is time to end the War in
I only want to add that each one of those Iraqis also have ten loved ones who have died inside.
They are people too.
To read Tom’s article in full, please click here –
We all feel like you unless we delight in killing. There are consequences to your suggestion that could cause more American to be killed. It could easily be you. The shock and scares our soldiers encounter can be healed. I teach seminars on just how to do it so I’m talking from personal experience.
I know you feel helpless and you want to help. We all feel that way including President Bush. There are other factors that you need to take into the equation. What the right is. I’m not sure but I do know we need to find one.
I hate war as only one who has experienced it can. However, peace is only sustainable after victory. We need to finish these first battles in a long long war on terror so we can get on to the next battle.
I’m on your side, Corrine.
We should stop the war and begin to promote peace in a more harmony way.
Well said Tom. I’m anxious for us to pull out of this expensive, #12 billion a month war, and focus on our own problems here in the United States. Imagine what they could do with $12 billion - how about shoring up our educational system? Overhauling broken governmental systems and programs? Fixing health care and making it available to every single man, woman, child in this country?
Yes, how about that?
As a non American watching this from the outside, I am happy that more people like you are standing up to be counted. You’re so right. Those people had husbands, and wives, and sons and daughters, and mothers, and fathers and friends, whose lives will never be the same again. It pains me to say this, but I see so many mothers defending the war, and I am perplexed. The children on both sides have suffered the most from this tragedy.
I have a friend who has been to Iraq several times as a war correspondant. He has written articles for the newpaper he works for that humanizes the losses. He gives these soldiers a name and a face and a family, so that they are not just a number. He is doing great work. I am proud to call him my friend.
To all of you who left comments -
Thanks for weighing in here - some wonderful thoughts on all sides.
My main point in this article is that after a while we all get numb to the death totals - and as a mother who has lost a child, I cannot but bleed for the people back home. They are casualties as well.
It looks like our only hope in Iraq is the meeting of minds in this tribal society. And in the cooperation of the other leaders in the Middle East in brokering some change.
We can only hope, that whatever administration wins our next election, these missions will be accomplished.
That will be victory to me. But it is very complicated to find peace in this situation.
We can only hope for our children and grandchildren that someday we will live in a peaceful world.
I agree with Birney. I hate war, too, as do all soldiers. Just ask any of them. They’ll be the first to tell you that.
However, soldiers are not naive and know that war is sometimes necessary. It’s complicated, and you can’t just decide to pull troops out of everywhere. Peace doesn’t work that way. Peace must be won or there will be no peace.
The middle east is a particularly difficult place to wage peace. They’ve been at war more on than off for over 5000 years.
When they bring their war onto our shores, which they did on 9/11/2001, we must respond with the might we are capable of wielding. Until we stop terrorism, there will not be peace in this world and it will only be a matter of time before more attacks take place inside the U.S.
The military is an all-volunteer force. Those signing up know what they are signing up for. I would rather soldiers take their chances armed and trained against an enemy bent on killing as many of us as they can than a terrorist attack take the lives of 4000 civilians in one day on American soil.
I know this comment will not be popular. But U.S. soldiers are in Iraq and Afghanistan for a reason.
Dear Sherrie at
On Being the Change I Wish To See -
Thanks for adding your comment. Everyone’s viewpoint is welcome here.
I knew that your heart is in the kindest and rightest place when I read your article -
http://beingthechangeiwishtosee.com/22/how-you-can-support-our-troops/
Everyone should read it.
We had an interesting discussion on this subject on Tom Stine’s blog. I won’t repeat my argument here. I agree with Birney. Let’s end the war the right way. Let’s stamp out terrorism over there so we don’t have to fight the battles over in our streets. We didn’t attack Osama remember.
Dear Mark -
Went over to http://www.tomstine.com and read your discourse -
This is how he answered you -
“Yes, my friend, we may disagree, but, and I don’t mean this flippantly, but so what? We disagree. I disagree with lots of people on lots of issues. And none of that changes the real core of what we are here to do and what we are. I can happily have a profound level of disagreement with someone and yet still call them a friend.
I don’t want to sound like I’m copping-out, but I won’t debate with you on the history of how we got to where we are in Iraq, why we are there, etc. To be honest, that doesn’t serve much point. An old friend taught me a lesson many years ago that still applies to so much in life. It is an economic principle called “sunk costs.” Basically, everything that you’ve done, spent, used, etc., up until now is irrelevant. The only question is “what is the best choice now?”
BIG QUESTION! ANY GOOD ANSWERS HERE?
It’s interesting to me that when people bring up a subject they expect answers or comments to the post. When a comment doesn’t agree with the position they’ve taken,Then all of the sudden no one wants to “engage.” If you don’t want to “engage” then don’t Post. I’m justa saying!
Dear Mark -
Thanks for your comment. As far as engaging - what is there for me - or, with apologies, for you - to say? There are more than enough discussions on every TV station and newpaper in the country. There is little to add here.
What I was focusing on in this article was not on the dead. They, hopefully, are at peace somewhere in the great beyond.
But their loved ones will suffer their whole lives and should be counted among the casualties.
This tribal warfare has been going on for centuries. I believe in an orderly but sooner than later withdrawal of our US Forces.
That’s it. I don’t think WE can solve this. But perhaps some of the Middle Eastern neighbors can help. They understand it better than we do.
Corinne, I agree with most of what you have said,I don’t want to get you angry at me by continuing the discussion beyond your intended path. But I must say. To pull out of the war before the victory is won does a disservice to the families of the fallen. That’s all. Nothing more, Nothing less.I’ve reread your post again and you have taken your stand quite clearly. I would like to also take my stand quite clearly. When the jobs done. We’ll come home. Not before!
Thanks, Mark -
I appreciate your comments. We are all united on one thing. Let’s get our people home as soon as possible!
We will keep in touch. I am impressed with your blog.
Warm regards -
Corinne
Well, to use a well known law, “what you resist, persists”. So if we want the troops home as soon as possible, we have to be FOR peace, FOR conclusion. And as long as we have a “war on terror”, not only will there be terror, but it will increase. A war on terror puts all of our creative energy on creating…… Terror! It will never go away if we are creatively continuing to create it by having a war on it. So in conjunction with another comment to another post, this is the experience we collectively needed so we could discover how we could be love. If we look at this current situation (Iraq and terror) unconditionally (no judgment, blame guilt or shame), we can move through this much more quickly and not have to continue to repeat the experience.