While the Oregon media focuses on a showdown between the Bush Administration and the will of Oregon voters over the Death with Dignity Act in a showdown in the US Supreme Court, thousands upon thousands of innocent Iraqi citizens go to their deaths each day without a semblance of dignity.
Across this nation the mainstream media painstakingly details the deaths of each and every US military death. Most newspapers, television stations and web sites featured an ongoing up-to-the-minute tally. The same is true for our counterparts in Britain.
Yet, the very people suffering the most through death and disabling injury – innocent Iraqi women, children and men – go largely unreported. This point was driven home in an article which appears in today’s Guardian Unlimited, “Iraq Allies Accused of Failing to Investigate Civilian Deaths”:
Not only is this behavior “irresponsible”, but it smacks of nationalism and ethnocentrism. It’s as if to say that some deaths (ours) matter, but others (yours) don’t.
Regardless of one’s religious or philosophical perspective, it is generally agreed upon that each human life is precious. We each get one shot at making this life meaningful and productive. When someone is robbed of this opportunity, through no fault of their own, it amounts to a tragedy; a life cut short.
It doesn’t matter if one’s life is cut short by a natural disaster, a senseless accident, disease, poverty OR via armed conflict. The end result is the same – the individual’s potential for self-realization is taken away from them.
Almost every person on this planet deserves some dignity with death. We could move far closer to this ideal if we afforded each individual a strong measure of dignity during life. Sadly, most of the Iraqi people are receiving neither.
Their innocent blood is on our shamed hands.
Across this nation the mainstream media painstakingly details the deaths of each and every US military death. Most newspapers, television stations and web sites featured an ongoing up-to-the-minute tally. The same is true for our counterparts in Britain.
Yet, the very people suffering the most through death and disabling injury – innocent Iraqi women, children and men – go largely unreported. This point was driven home in an article which appears in today’s Guardian Unlimited, “Iraq Allies Accused of Failing to Investigate Civilian Deaths”:
Experts in public health from six countries, including the UK, today castigate the British and American governments for failing to investigate the deaths of civilians caught up in the conflict in Iraq.
Twenty-four experts from the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, Spain and Italy say the attitude of the governments is "wholly irresponsible". They say the UK government's reliance on "extremely limited data" from the Iraqi ministry of health is "unacceptable" because it is likely to seriously underestimate the casualties.
Not only is this behavior “irresponsible”, but it smacks of nationalism and ethnocentrism. It’s as if to say that some deaths (ours) matter, but others (yours) don’t.
Regardless of one’s religious or philosophical perspective, it is generally agreed upon that each human life is precious. We each get one shot at making this life meaningful and productive. When someone is robbed of this opportunity, through no fault of their own, it amounts to a tragedy; a life cut short.
It doesn’t matter if one’s life is cut short by a natural disaster, a senseless accident, disease, poverty OR via armed conflict. The end result is the same – the individual’s potential for self-realization is taken away from them.
Almost every person on this planet deserves some dignity with death. We could move far closer to this ideal if we afforded each individual a strong measure of dignity during life. Sadly, most of the Iraqi people are receiving neither.
Their innocent blood is on our shamed hands.
I don't support the wanton violence committed by either side. However, I don't think we can classify MOST of the terrorists as insurgents. Depending on one's point of view, some would consider them Iraqi patriots defending the homeland from an outside invader -- the US.
ReplyDeleteYou also can't point the finger ONLY at the Iraqi fighters for choosing "soft targets". It's been well documented that US bombs have been dropped on funeral processions, weddings, hospitals and schools; in other words "soft targets". Again, both sides are guilty of using "soft targets" for political aims.
By the way, I know nothing about underwater basket weaving.
spqw your mindless rambling is boring me to shit. Can you think of one single original thought or are you so far up bush's asshole he is talking for you?
ReplyDeleteTerrorists! Everyone who doesn't agree with the masses is a terrorist these days. Iraq has nothing to do with terrorism. That was 9/11 and Afghanistan, the other country we destroyed and promised to rebuild.