U.S. Lives Lost in Preserving our Freedoms While in Iraq

A usually reliable source tells me that figuring causalities per capita, that we have far more violent deaths in this country than we have in Iraq. He indicates it is far safer in Iraq than in our own country. Today’s JS posts the number of teenagers in our area who have died just this year and it isn’t even “seniors get drunk night” yet. This is not a blanket indictment of all teenagers; I make this statement based on nationwide facts.

Most of the deaths by violence in this country come without a valid cause. Usually someone sets out to kill someone, some are killed by carelessness, some are killed by intoxication and drugs, some by drunken drivers, and some killed are totally innocent, some die by suicide and some deaths are a result of people who think they are “invincible”. Many are killed because they believe they are above the law or they are just doing what everyone else is doing.

4100 pedestrians died in 2005 so just figuring the Iraq war of 4 years, that total would be 16,000 deaths compared to 3200 in the entire Middle East over the same period of time. Highway deaths by vehicular accidents total 164,000; approximately the same number of our troops serving in the Middle East.

These deaths abroad also cause trauma; similar trauma is caused by death and injury in the United States. My sister’s 17 year old daughter was killed by a drunken driver and my sister, now 89, has suffered mental stress even to this day.

For those of you extremely critical of the war in Iraq, I join you and am very critical of the handling of world wide relationships over the past many years, not just the last four. However, I would never do or say anything that gives solace to the terrorists in this county or abroad. Many in trying to vent their anger actually cause more violence and deaths overseas.

All deaths and injuries are sad but I would rather die believing I was dying to preserve our freedom. Most of our people serving in Iraq do believe they are fighting and dying for a cause. Most of our politicians feel the same; otherwise they wouldn’t vote the way they do and did. It is extremely sad to see many of our politicians’s now posturing before the public while they claim to be looking out for the best interests of our citizenry.

If you don’t believe we are the freest country in the world, I suggest you spend an hour counting your freedoms. If then not convinced, I suggest you move to a country; say Iran, Russia, Haiti, Dafur, Somalia, Turkey, and all of the countries whose names end in “stan”, Maybe Madagascar or even Mexico. How about Nigeria, China, India or some countries in South America or even Latin America.

Better yet, run for office with an intelligent platform, form a third party or just attend local meetings were issues of all types are discussed in civil dialogue.

Keep reading and we can learn together how to make this a better world in which to live.