I went to the iCasualties website yesterday, hadn't been for a while, to find that 4,300 U.S. and coalition forces have died in Iraq, and God knows how many other Iraqis.
Meanwhile, as we step up our military action in Afghanistan, over 1100 people have died there.
Afghanistan leaves me ambivalent. Iraq I feel is an out-and-out farce. Those people should not have died, and it enrages me.
This morning, I learned about an amazing project called Map the Fallen. It uses Google Earth to mark and remember each of the some 5,000 people who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan. The creator of the program writes,
I have created a map for Google Earth that will connect you with each of their stories—you can see photos, learn about how they died, visit memorial websites with comments from friends and families, and explore the places they called home and where they died.
It's an impressive thing. I downloaded it this morning and used it to find people who were from places where I've lived.
I'd like to wish you a happy Memorial Day, but today, I just can't.
Weary of all trumpeting, wearing of all killing,
weary of all songs that sing promise non-fulfilling,
we would raise, O Christ, one song; we would join in singing
that great music pure and strong, wherewith heaven is ringing.
1 comment:
I'm there with you m'dear....
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