You mean there's something more important than March Madness?
“I worry about the detachment and the lack of concern. We’re not pieces on a chessboard or a video game; we're real people.”
- Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Operation Truth and Iraq war veteran.
Perhaps it is because after September 11, anything goes. Perhaps it is because the over 1,500 dead American troops is still far less than the 58,000 that died in Vietnam. Whatever the reason, Rieckhoff is disturbingly correct in his observation.
People seem oddly unconcerned with the war in Iraq and the death and casualties of American troops (and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians). Somehow, while troops are still fighting and dying, the news of Iraq has slipped to page A-12 and B-4 of your local newspaper. And our lives continue uninterrupted. We can watch March Madness and worry about losses in our office pools (this author is betting on Illinois) instead of losses of lives in Tikrit and Baghdad.
In a sense, part of what makes America such a special nation is our freedom to go about our daily lives without the worry and fear that accompanies daily life for so many other people in so many other parts of the world. Many of us felt that freedom disturbed by the acts of September 11 and in the days after wanted nothing more than to hasten the return of the days when we could again go about our American ease of life.
And thankfully, by and large we have returned to that comfortable feeling of American ease and freedom. But, perhaps in the process of doing so, we have forgotten about our American (and Iraqi) brothers and sisters abroad who are not today afforded the same.
So when you sit down on your sofa or neighborhood barstool to watch this weekend's Final Four basketball coverage and see the typical shot of troops watching the games via satellite in Iraq, take a moment to think of what they will be doing tomorrow. And realize that of the faces of those troops you see so thrilled to have a much needed rest from their worry and un-ease, the madness in Iraq will ensure that some of them will never again set eyes upon their baby girls, hug their mothers, or kiss their wives or husbands.
- posted by Miles Granderson
- Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Operation Truth and Iraq war veteran.
Perhaps it is because after September 11, anything goes. Perhaps it is because the over 1,500 dead American troops is still far less than the 58,000 that died in Vietnam. Whatever the reason, Rieckhoff is disturbingly correct in his observation.
People seem oddly unconcerned with the war in Iraq and the death and casualties of American troops (and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians). Somehow, while troops are still fighting and dying, the news of Iraq has slipped to page A-12 and B-4 of your local newspaper. And our lives continue uninterrupted. We can watch March Madness and worry about losses in our office pools (this author is betting on Illinois) instead of losses of lives in Tikrit and Baghdad.
In a sense, part of what makes America such a special nation is our freedom to go about our daily lives without the worry and fear that accompanies daily life for so many other people in so many other parts of the world. Many of us felt that freedom disturbed by the acts of September 11 and in the days after wanted nothing more than to hasten the return of the days when we could again go about our American ease of life.
And thankfully, by and large we have returned to that comfortable feeling of American ease and freedom. But, perhaps in the process of doing so, we have forgotten about our American (and Iraqi) brothers and sisters abroad who are not today afforded the same.
So when you sit down on your sofa or neighborhood barstool to watch this weekend's Final Four basketball coverage and see the typical shot of troops watching the games via satellite in Iraq, take a moment to think of what they will be doing tomorrow. And realize that of the faces of those troops you see so thrilled to have a much needed rest from their worry and un-ease, the madness in Iraq will ensure that some of them will never again set eyes upon their baby girls, hug their mothers, or kiss their wives or husbands.
- posted by Miles Granderson
posted by Anonymous at 5:35 PM
8 Comments:
http://www.willisms.com/archives/2005/04/rock_the_vote_t.html
Remember the days back when Rock The Vote was a nonpartisan effort to get young people to vote? Seems it has been taken over by someone with an agenda.
Your statement "People seem oddly unconcerned with the war in Iraq and the death and casualties... while troops are still fighting and dying, the news of Iraq has slipped to page A-12 and B-4..."
You seem to be saying that the concern of the American people toward our troops is based on the story choices of our liberal media. The fact is that they aren't reporting it if it isn't bad news.
Fewer or less prominent placement of stories in the newspaper doesn't mean that the American people are less worried about our troops or less appreciative of there efforts to keep our country safe. It only means there is nothing sensational to report that would turn people against the war effort and ultimately our president.
RTV might do well to read this article describing abuses by nonprofits and charities. One of the problems the IRS notes is nonprofits engaging in political activity:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7385623/
I think this article has it all wrong. It's not that people don't care or have become comfortable. I think the real truth is people think about it a lot but I also think most people actually support the effort. I think the elections in Iraq proved that the people in Iraq want to make a difference and they really took the wind out of the liberals sails.
I'd lide to thank you for perpetuating the dependance on the government that this and other government programs bring. That way a large government can rule and control all aspects of life... It's a Brave New World afterall.
The US policy toward the Middle East has been a failure since the Carter Administration.
Carter should have wiped out the Iranian Government when hostages were taken.
Reagan should have knocked some heads in Lebanon when our base was blown up.
Bush Sr. should have gone into Iraq and dislodged Sadaam the first time.
Clinton should have dislodged Sadaam instead of sending a bunch of missles as punishment.
Clinton should have dislodged AlQaeda after the first WTC bombing and USS Cole incident.
Clinton should never had given North Korea a bribe instead of dealing with the nuclear issue.
Bush Jr. has done the right thing by fixing Afghanistan and finishing the job in Iraq.
Once Iraq is done, hopefully the US will have the military bandwidth to finish the Iran and N Korea.
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