Michael Berg's Letter to the Editor (my local paper)

[LynneSin]

http://www.newsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060624/OPINION10/606240316/1111/OPINION

The number of war dead is more than another number

Last week the Pentagon reported American deaths bringing the total to 2,500. In response to that report the White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said, "It's a number."

Apparently since none of the dead are members of any administration family they are of little concern. How callous and uncaring can an administration be?

The problem is even worse when the growing numbers of wounded are included. With 8,500 wounded soldiers not able to return to active duty so far in the Iraq occupation, three Veterans' Administration hospitals are scheduled for closing this year. At the same time funding for the VA is being reduced.

Numbers don't lie. People do. We cannot avoid the discrepancy between the words coming from people in the administration and the numbers reported by government agencies. We need an accounting. We do not need another lie to continue this losing effort; we do need to end the occupation and bring home the living.

Michael Berg, Wilmington

[KingFlorez]

1. Good letter

[Pachamama]

2. The numbers don't lie....he's absolutely correct....

Also, he failed to point to another "number"....this administration LOVES to reference the numbers of dead on 9/11, which ofcourse has been been far exceeded in the number of dead civilians aka "collateral damage" in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Very soon the number of our dead soldiers (not including the wounded) will exceed that 9/11 "number".

Wonder how much the Bush Administration will ever reference those numbers, but will keep evoking the numbers of dead on 9/11. My husband and I lost 5 friends on 9/11 in the WTC. Our friends deaths and memories should never ever be used to justify these new "numbers".

When will Americans wake up? :cry:

[OneBlueSky]

3. and then there's the Iraqi casualties . . .

that always seem to be forgotten in discussions of war deaths . . . I've seen estimates as high as 300,000 (from The Lancet), which is about 1% of the country's total population . . .

apply that percentage to your own community to understand just how devastating it is . . . in my town of about 14,000, 140 deaths would cause a revolution -- and it's a largely Republican town . . .

[Divernan]

4. Not to mention the number of wounded/injured Iraqis - and all

those exposed to Depleted Uranium.

[Terran1212]

5. One Green I wish all Dems would support

But he has the same problem Greg Palast says Cynthia McKinney has: "A constant case of Tourette's Syndrome -- he can't stop speaking the truth."