US Military Deaths in Iraq have reached 2,000. Lt. Colonel Steve Boylan (spokesman for the multi-national force) is quoted in the Washington Post article as saying the 2,000 death "is just as important as the first that died."
Staff Sgt. George T. Alexander, Jr., 34, of Killeen, Texas became the 2,000 US military casualty, succombing to injuries he sustained on October 17th when a bomb exploded near his vehicle. I hold in prayer Sgt. Alexander and his family and all those who have died in Iraq or lost loved ones in the war, be they US military, Iraqi military, contractors, police or civilians.
The thing is, although I agree with the military spokesman that the first death is just as important as the last, that's probably where our agreement ends. On Memorial Day I wrote about my feelings about war and this war in particular. So I won't rehash that here. Every life is valuable and a gift from God which is essentially why I don't think we should be taking those lives in the name of geo politics. As Pope John Paul II said, war is always a defeat for humanity.
President Bush spoke to some military spouses today. He said "Each loss of life is heartbreaking, and the best way to honor the sacrifice of our fallen troops is to complete the mission and lay the foundation of peace by spreading freedom."
But the thing is, while I can agree that each loss of life is hearbreaking, I cannot agree that the best way to honor their sacrifice is to sacrifice some one else. Or many someone elses. Honoring a life by taking more lives. How does that make sense?
I also heard on the radio that Donald Rumsfeld has admitted that when the US eventually pulls out, the insurgency will not be over. At this point the goal is to train the Iraqi army and police so they can continue overseeing the civil war we created. How does that make sense?
It's complicated. A complete pull out from the mess we created would be irresponsible. And yet continuing on a road to nowhere but death, destruction and chaos which will guarantee the further sacrificing of American and Iraqi lives doesn't make sense either.
But I fear that as in most cases, both sides are so entrenched. We must stay the course. We must pull out. When the reality I think is in the middle, and we will eventually find ourselves admitting to that fact. But how many more will die?
So please pray for peace. And pray for the 2,000 American lives that have been lost. The 15,000 American soldiers who have been injured. The 26 to 30,000 Iraqi civilian lives that have been lost.
And for those of you who tune into this here blog for silly internet quizzes or the latest escapades of my discernment process …. they will return. But a big part of the call I feel is to pray and work for peace through justice. And we're a long long way from that.
On that cheerful note, lunch time is over!
Peace out,
Susan
3 comments:
Amen! Each death that is perpetrated in this sham of a war is murder. You can dress up the language of killing, refer to it as regretable and collateral damage, but it remains murder. The concept of "Just War" is a sell-out to the power brokers. No Christian should or could accept murder as a consequence of their actions if they are truly a follower of Jesus.
It's just all so sad and wrong. And how young most of the soliders have been.
They are just kids we are sending over there.
>>But the thing is, while I can agree that each loss of life is hearbreaking, I cannot agree that the best way to honor their sacrifice is to sacrifice some one else.<<
That's not so hard to understand if you consider the best way to punish someone for killing is to kill them .... isn't it the same thing?
[Note to those who don't know me ... that's me slamming the "logic" of capital punishment]
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