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Iraqi Civilian Deaths ... caused by Bush's unprovoked war

 

For Families of Some Killed in Iraq: Grief, Outrage and Protes
 (Jay Shaft, The New Standard, Jul 19 2004)
Many families of US service members killed in Iraq say the pain of having lost a loved one does not grow easier to deal with as time passes. Some say it only worsens. More and more, the families of men and women killed in Iraq are speaking publicly against the war. Jane Bright of West Hills, California, lost her son, Sergeant Evan Ashcraft, a year ago on July 24, 2003, and she says that even after a year, dealing with the loss has not grown easier. "There is no amount of time that could go by and I wouldn't feel the pain of losing my son," she said. "I live with this every day, I wake up and know my wonderful, loving son is not coming back. My grief is not something I could just 'get over'," Bright continued. "I get so mad when people tell me to 'get over it.' How dare they tell me that?" she exclaimed. " I lost a son -- it's my right to publicly mourn, and everyone needs to see it." Like all the parents interviewed for this story -- each of whom has spoken out publicly against the war since, and in some cases prior to, the death of a son -- Zappala said "moving on" seems impossible. "The pain of my son's death does not get any better -- it just gets worse as time goes on," she said. "Every day brings a new agony. The rest of our friends and relatives are trying to move on, and I just can't get to that point." Factors such as concern that their loved ones died for no tangible purpose, as well as the mystery surrounding the circumstances of some of the deaths, weave a common theme among family members taking a stand against the US's continuing operations in Iraq. "It was just so unnecessary, and that hurts me," Zappala said. "He died doing his assigned job, but he never had any idea of how to really do it. He just did his duty because they told him it was what he had to do. The government has completely failed to prepare our troops, or give them the proper equipment or ensure their safety. "They still haven't told me how he really died," she added. Sue Niederer's son, Lieutenant Seth Dvorin, died on February 7, 2004. He was 24 years old. Niederer reported that familiar kind of difficulty recovering from her loss. Seth had married his wife, Kelly Harris, just prior to leaving for Iraq last summer. "Time isn't making this go away or making it easier to cope with," she said. "Months have gone by. You tell me if I sound like I am getting over his death. I don't think so! Not as long as our government sends our children to be sacrificed." Niederer, who lives in Pennington, New Jersey, is insistent that Seth's death served no purpose. "I'll say it again. As many times as I have to just so people understand. My son died for absolutely nothing! Absolutely nothing! Am I still angry? You bet I am! Am I still hurting worse than ever? You better believe it!" Celeste Zappala blames her own lack of healing on her assessment that the military failed to adequately prepare her son Sherwood's unit for the policing role it was ordered to carry out. "How can you get over your son's death when you know he died because he didn't have the proper training?" Zappala asked. "He was never trained for the job of an MP; he was not a policeman. How can I accept his death when it was so unnecessary and such a waste of a good life? He is gone now," she said vehemently, "because they neglected his needs." Sue Niederer also believes her son Seth's unit was unprepared for the mission it was assigned. "My son died because he didn't have the right equipment for himself or his men," she said. "When he was home on leave he was on the phone to his commander at Fort Drum. He was demanding [global positioning system technology] and computers to protect the safety of his men. Did he get them? You figure it out!" Jane Bright defiantly insists on her prerogative to speak out against the war as a way of dealing with her pain. "Bush wants us to just move on like nothing happened," Bright said. "No," she replied defiantly. "I won't be quiet until everyone knows how bad it hurts. I won't be able to 'get over it' as long as more of our children are dying in Iraq."  Sue Niederer expressed concern that the complicity of other soldiers' families is prolonging the healing process for those whose loved ones have already died. "How can the people stand for this to happen?" she asked. "Do they want their child to die like mine? What is it going to take to stop this? I can't start healing and getting over my pain as long as there are more of our loved ones dying. It makes my son's death pointless." Celeste Zappala said the killing "must be stopped, before we lose our entire future." She added, "What about all the others who have died since then and will keep on dying? I want to see it stop for all the families and the soldiers most of all. "How sad," Zappala continued. "How sad that we are still letting this go on. Our voices must make an impression on the people. They have to hear us because we are the ones suffering the most." Niederer's defiance is palpable. "Face me, President Bush," she taunted as if the president might be listening in. "You are a coward! Come on, look me in the eye and tell me my son's death was worth it! Tell me this war was right and necessary and I'll deck you! You send our children to die and then have the nerve to say they made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. You don't even have the courage to face me or any of the other families! How cowardly! How cowardly!" While more and more families grieve, units of National Guard, Reserves, and active duty are being called up and notified of the dates they will be sent off to Iraq. The military has even told some troops they are expected to ship out next February or later, confirming most analysts' predictions that the Pentagon and Bush administration have plans to keep troops deployed well into 2006. Compounding families' losses is their suspicion that their fellow Americans would prefer to ignore the costs of war, if the alternative means facing even part of the pain others cannot avoid. "Is anyone really paying attention?" Cindy Sheehan asked during the interview. "Is this really making a difference? I just don't see it having much impact watching all the people keep going on like nothing is happening. Is this really going to make a difference?"

[COMMENT] *****Mrs. Sheehan hit the nail on the head.  Our fellow Americans DO prefer to ignore the costs of war, as long as it does not get personal. Either they do not have children serving in bondage to the state or, if they do, well then, they believe that "it'll never happen to my Johnny..." - kind of a head-in-the-sand sort of catharsis.  I'm continually amazed at the Americans who can sit idly by and allow the warmongers to have their way. Do they not understand that what the President [sic] and his followers do is not in the best interest of the country? They serve only themselves and their financial backers. And, more telling, it is not their children who are dying. Rest assured that when they reinstitute the draft, the Bush twins will not be drafted. Ah, but that is another story for another time...but that's just this old Curmudgeon's opinion...*****

posted by A Curmudgeon 10:12 AM