In the Iraqi War, as in any war, the ultimate cost is measured human lives, and this war has taken thousands of lives so far. In addition to the more than 2,700 lives of American soldiers lost (
http://www.icasualties.org/...), there have been hundreds of allied casualties and ten's of thousands of innocent civilian casualties. But Americans do not see this. There are no images of bodies or caskets on the screen to aptly illustrate the consequences of the choices they have made politically.
Maybe, that can be changed.
I saw a group of war protesters on my way home from work in downtown Nashville the other day and was impressed with their spirit and motivation. I wondered how large an impact they had on the public opinion that day. It had to make a favorable impression on most observers, but I'm sure many others were disgusted at what they may perceive as unpatriotic behavior and Bush hating.
Then it hit me, what if we found 2,738+ volunteers to stand on the side of the road representing each one of the war dead. Each would dress in khaki or camouflage, some holding signs that say `I left behind a wife and child' or `mother and father'. Standing five feet apart, the line would stretch over 2 ½ miles, and at 30 mph it would take about five minutes to drive by the entire line. If asked by the media, the point could be made that the inclusion of civilian casualties would stretch the line another twenty or so miles. Such a demonstration would have to move even the most cynical of critics and silence the most vocal hecklers.
People just need to know. Their heads need to be removed from the sand and forced to see what they have brought upon our children. This is the truth that needs to be told.