Another Iraq Casualty: Nearly 900 U.S. Kids Lost a Parent in War: Scripps

[Tab]

NEW YORK The escalating toll of American dead in Iraq is causing another tragedy that cuts deeper. After studying casualty reports and obituaries and accounts in hometown newspapers, and also conducting family interviews, Scripps Howard News Service has identified nearly 900 U.S. children who have lost a parent in the war.

At least half are under the age of ten. More than 40 troops died without ever seeing their newly born children. At least 60 children lost parents last month.

Although precise comparable data is not available for other U.S. conflicts, military experts told Scripps reporters Lisa Hoffman and Annette Rainville that the number of American children left bereaved or made orphans by the Iraq war is unprecedented in scope.

It represents, as Scripps put it in a graphic, about 18 large school buses fully packed with kids.
More: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=90&e=16&u=/ep/anotheriraqcasualtynearly900uskidslostaparentinwarscrippsfinds

[David Zephyr]

1. Kick!

[Ian David]

4. But what about family values???

I thought a child deserves both a mother and a father and that families need to be protected?

Well, I guess all those single moms will have to go on welfare, because they're supposed to stay at home and take care of their kids.

Oh no... wait... welfare is for liberals. They have to go out and earn a living, right?

That doesn't work then, does it?

Then I guess they have to let a gay couple adopt their children?

Oh, wait... they don't want THAT either.

Oh, well. I guess that they have to meet a nice man to marry at their husband's funeral.

[frankly_fedup2]

8. For each child they will get a substantial check from Social Security . .

A friend of mine's father committed suicide back during the Vietnam war while he was still on his ship. She had five sisters. Her mother got 6 checks a month . . .she gave each of the girls $10 week allowance. Their medical was covered as well. Of course, there was a large life insurange policy too. People think life insurance companies do not pay if the person committs suicide, but if you look at your policy closely, you will find that after two years of having the policy, and even if the person covered has had depression problems before, it will be covered. She got a big hunk because it was not long before the big new cars and new home they moved in to.

They always lived in rather luxurious homes, considering her mother never worked, and then when her mother remarried, her step-father worked part time. (my friend said that her new step father at that time was already hanging around her mother when her father killed himself. She always blamed the step father but not her mother). Anyway, it was like a lottery windfall for the mother. I'm not saying she wanted her husband to kill himself

They all will be taken pretty good care of whether they are Democrat or Republican.

Also, my friend and her sister's years of college was paid for 100% as well. Also, as long as they were in college, the mother continued to get a monthly check for each girl. My friend told me she saw one of the checks one time and it was around $400 . . .and this was back in the 70's. Wonder what they get now????

[NEOBuckeye]

10. Every Child Left Behind

Hey, you know Republican values, right? They'll all have to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps! :eyes:

[girl gone mad]

18. They'll send the mother off to faith-based councelors,

who will tell her children are better off with both a mother and a (mentally stable, physically able to provide for his family) father.

I've got personal experience with that one.

[Gregorian]

2. Compared to Iraqi orphans, it's nearly insignificant.

Why is there no news? Why is it all self-centered America-is-all-that-exists-on-the-planet news? What about the grief and lamenting over 100,000 dead Iraqi civilians? Or Afghanis, for that matter? It's not that I don't care about sixty American kids without parents. It's just that I care about everyone. I'd like to make a statement that I have recently realized- Humans are not above, nor separate from, the planet earth. We are nature. Earth and humans. It's not like Iraqis are different. It's not like trees are different. I know I'm rambling. But the point is, no thing, no person is any more nor any less important than anything else. Without the whole, we all suffer. George doesn't get that. Most people don't get that. We can't live without affecting others. But at least we can be aware, and care.

[MindLikeAParachute]

3. Of course what it doesn't cover

is how many have handicapped parents

or how many kids in iraq lost their parents

or how many kids in iraq are dead

The number of kids affected by this war is much greater indeed.

[Ian David]

5. NPR's Positive spin on wounded

They had an army emergency medical surgeon on NPR last night bragging about how they have such a higher success rate of saving the lives of soldiers wounded on the battlefield.

He said that many soldiers now are surviving wounds that would have certainly killed them in previous wars.

OK, raise your hand if you know the important part that he and NPR left out?

Yes, that's right. Soldiers are being sent home with wounds more massive and catastrophic than ever before. Injuries and maimings that would have killed them before.

They sent one guy from Iraq to Germany within 19 hours, while his abdomen was left open the whole time.

And once he left Iraq, the army stopped giving him combat pay (they left THAT part out, too).

And Bush has been cutting-back on the money and services available to them.

[xxqqqzme]

7. reserves are treated differently

than regular army - I'll bet bunches of $$$$ that wasn't mentioned.

A few weeks ago Moyers/NOW did a story of a Mom & Dad deploying 2 Iraq w/ their Reserve unit. They were leaving behind 2 under 5 daughters w/ the grandparents for who knows how long - a year or more. Those kids won't even know who their parents R in 14 months. What does THAT do 2 an under 5 child and their sense of self? Sure glad these people R pro-life!!!!!

[girl gone mad]

19. Or how many will have their family life torn apart..

by the effects of PTSD.

Welcome to DU, btw.

[Wilber_Stool]

6. When I got drafted in '69

it was unusual to find a guy that was married. We've got a married army now. Have you noticed how often both parents are serving?

[NEOBuckeye]

9. So much for Republican "Family Values"

There are going to be moer and more orphans, the longer that Bush holds onto power.

[NVMojo]

16. yeah, don't abort but kill the grown fetuses for the Bush cause ...

I really do not like these brainwashed repukes...

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ckramer]

12. "Are you sure? what are their names?" the rednecks shouted

[JI7]

13. less people signing up so need to get people to return to service

after they have already served their time. and these people now likely have families or their own.

[anarchy1999]

14. Can we please consider the kids in Iraq? What about them?

n/t

Where are their moms and dads? Where are their sisters and brothers? What have we done?

[daleo]

17. Bush is trying his best to kill whole families in Iraq

That way there won't be any sad orphans. But it's hard work.

[Person_Of_Interest]

15. Why...

Why is it that these stories do not make it to network televisions across the nation ???? They are shown across the globe but not where the problem lies (here in America) hmmm something wrong here:shrug: