www.newsandletters.org
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, November-December 2005Remembering victims of Bush's Iraq warMemphis--At a vigil sponsored by the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center, 100 gathered at the corner of Poplar and Highland on Oct. 26 to mourn the carnage caused by Bush’s illegal and immoral war on Iraq. We joined cities around the world to grieve and protest the 2,000th U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. The human cost of this war extends beyond the $217 billion spent to occupy Iraq. Over 2,000 U.S. soldiers will never come home to their families, over 15,000 more will return maimed and disabled, while tens of thousands more will suffer the long-term psychological repercussions of killing the innocent. These figures pale in comparison to the 100,000 Iraqis who have lost their lives in a war the majority of the world opposed. Meanwhile, those in need in our own country continue to fight in a war of their own. Every day thousands go hungry, hundreds die, and countless more suffer because Bush’s government would rather fight wars than provide living wages and universal healthcare. Starting at our weekly morning vigil, we began reading the names of the 2,000 who have died in this war. This solemn witness continued throughout the day. By the time our evening candlelight vigil started, we had 1,000 names left. As we tolled the bell that evening we were reminded that each ring represented not just one U.S. death, but also 100 Iraqis. That is something that we must never forget. Their families grieve as ours do, the pain is the same, but the responsibility is ours. --Jacob Flowers |
|
Home l News & Letters Newspaper l Back issues l News and Letters Committees l Dialogues l Raya Dunayevskaya l Contact us l Search Published by News and Letters Committees |
