Thoughts on 9/12
An observation by the
numbers
We grieve for all those who died
five years ago yesterday.
We also grieve, honor,
and respect our fallen fighting men and women, wherever they may be stationed,
for making the ultimate sacrifice to defend a nation they believe
in.
Perhaps I read the
wrong press, because I have not heard it phrased the following way in our
remembrance yesterday, so I will take the knocks and spell it out, albeit with a
heavy heart and reluctance for the
comparison.
Just short of
3,000 people were killed as a direct result of the 911 attacks; the best numbers
I can find put the death toll from that heinous act of terror at
2973.
According
to the latest sources, the American military death toll in Iraq now stands at
2666.
(This does not take into account the
over
40,000 reported Iraqui deaths
since the U.S replaced Saddam Hussein's
regime.)
As an American, I
believe the attacks on 911 were unprovoked and unfathomable, though we should
take the trouble to try and understand
why
we would be attacked like we
were.
No matter what you
may think of the Iraqui war, there are few people with good conscience who can
deny it was an invasion of choice; we chose to go into that
country.
As we honored and
remembered the fallen on 911, and the Americans who have died in Iraq, maybe it
is time for us to stop and consider our own choices and our own priorities as a
nation. One death does not avenge another. A mounting toll does not add meaning
to those who have perished before.
Where will it end? Are
we so naive and ignorant of history that we believe our blustering military
presence will bring peace between Kurds, Sunnis, and Shiites? Do we think our
ammunition will make Muslims sympathetic to Christians and Jews? (We cannot even
get our own "civilized" politicians to stop assassinating each other's
characters.) Bullets and minefields do not win hearts. We cannot eliminate nor
dominate everyone who does not agree with our ideals. We must teach them--and
ourselves--respect for diversity and how to get along. We need to figure out how
to do that. War is primitive. We need to move forward in a more civilized way,
and lead the world through enlightenment. That should be our role and our goal
as the remaining superpower.
This is said, of course,
with respect to the families who have lost loved ones in action. How many more
families must suffer such losses?
Posted: Tue - September 12, 2006 at 03:47 PM
