501 -- not just a hot pair of Levis

As everyone has read, it's the number of soldiers dead in Iraq. The phrase in polls on the war's relative success that haunts me: "...an acceptable level of deaths..."

What startled me was learning that 36 were teenagers. One third had young children.

I hope some paper will publish the faces to go with the names, and the names to go with the all-too-meaningless numbers. Attention must be paid.

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Updated On: 1/17/04 at 02:34 PM

"I hope some paper will publish the faces to go with the names, and the names to go with the all-too-meaningless numbers. Attention must be paid"

Faces of the Fallen from the Washington Post

does the newshour on pbs still show pictures of the recently fallen at the end of the hour? that was a solemn reminder. ya'll probably wanna stop reading this now.

i don't mean to detract at all from the sacrifice of these brave men and women, but i do feel that a little perspective would be interesting.

according to the insurance institute for highway safety statistics, 42,815 people died in the united states in 2002 in automobile crashes, making it the leading cause of death for americans under 34 and costing the economy about $200 billion.

i'm probably balming my own guilt over their deaths, but i gotta say, they knew going into the military was going to be dangerous, right? they did realize that eventually they might be called upon to sacrifice their lives for their country.

my sympathy goes out to their families and friends. i believe that their lives were not lost in vain. i believe that their lives were given in a struggle to give a region of the world a chance that they've not had in a long time. i believe that in the long run their sacrifice will make not only our country but the world a stronger, safer place. we can't just hide under our shells and pray that the world starts to like us or that the conditions that lead to radicalism just go away with thoughtful negotiation and the u.s. ceding its sovereignty to a world body. until the people voices can be heard not just in our capitol but in all capitols, angry ambitious men and women will oppress their fellow men and women using any means available to them. unless hope is offered to them, people will continue to grasp hold of violence. until all peoples love their children more than they hate their enemies, we have failed as a nation and as a species. will bringing liberty to iraq accomplish all of this? probably not. but it is a step in the right direction and it was the only one we could have taken at the time. and make no mistake about it, a step had to be taken for to stand still was to invite disaster. and i don't mean wmds. because of our actions, and because of the lives of those 501, 25 million people have the right to choose for themselves their own destiny for the first time in more than 30 years. i pray every day that they will chose life and to live with one another in peace. but the very fact that they are able to choose at all makes worthy the sacrifice of our soldiers. what nobler aspiration could humanity aspire to than to lift the yoke of oppression from one's fellow man or woman?

i'm proud to see their faces, to learn their names and to offer my prayers for their peace, their family's peace and for all our peace. but i am willing to accept losses in order to further that goal. i'd say it's ironic, but that word fails to even come close to the emotion that this issue inspires in me and should inspire in every single person. you don't have to agree with me, but, don't ever ignore the sacrifices that are being made and have been made. you guys honor them in your way, i in mine.

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Updated On: 1/17/04 at 03:51 PM

When the newly-liberated Iraqi people throw off the punishing yoke of Halliburton and severing the grip of the American oil companies, that will indeed be something to celebrate!

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I, of course, think the war in Iraq is a travesty and believe that placing our forces in harms way IN THIS PARTICULAR SETTING is misguided folly. I used to be an all out pacifist, but have moved to a mindset a little more realistic given the state of the world today. I realize that there ARE situations in which warfare can't or shouldn't be avoided. This wasn't one of them.

But that's not my point. My point is that although I am staunchly opposed to this war effort, I still mourn the loss of our troops and appreciate that they put themselves in harms way with good intentions. (If that sounds patronizing, that's not how it is intended.)

My greater fear is that a year from now we'll be sitting around looking at a much higher figure that will make us long for the days when the casualty count was ONLY 501. Shades of Vietnam anyone?

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PapaMambo. Very well said, in my opinion. I share your point of view.

Bulldog

"Obviously this is very sad, but compared to other wars the number is very low."

And the war is very young. We're not getting out of there any time soon.

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