Bedrooms of America’s Young War Dead

[Are_grits_groceries]

Seven years after the beginning of the Iraq war — and with U.S. troop deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeding 5,000 — a look at what dead soldiers left behind.
This a lnk to the pictures:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/magazine/20100321-soliders-bedrooms-slideshow.html?hp

There is a link to an essay at the bottom of the first page called 'Lost Soldiers.'

This one really hurt.
What are we doing???

[Joanne98]

1. ALL OUT! March 20 anti-war actions

U.S. imperialism’s crimes against the Iraqi people are so great that no amount of lying in the corporate media can wipe them out. That doesn’t stop these manufacturers of instant misinformation from trying. They have hypocritically presented a patently fraudulent election, held under an occupying power and administered by a puppet regime, as a sterling example of democracy and courage.

There are still nearly 100,000 U.S. troops in Iraq seven years after the illegal aggression, plus an equal number of “contractors” — mercenaries. The U.S. occupation has left more than 1 million dead and created 5 million refugees. It has exacerbated ethnic and religious differences leading to the brink of a partition of the country. Its puppet regime has been pressured to pass laws turning over Iraqi natural wealth to imperialist concerns, thus sowing the seeds of a potential civil war.

But the corporate media, by apparent prior agreement, writes glowingly of Iraqis dipping their fingers in ink as if the election were a proof of Iraqi sovereignty.

All the more reason why anyone who opposed this war at the beginning, and the millions more who want it over with now, should head to the protest in Washington or other regional centers on March 20 to make their voices as strong and dramatic as they can.

http://www.workers.org/2010/editorials/march_20_0318/

[Fumesucker]

2. Supporting a Democratic president..

And the military-industrial-congressional complex..

When the only tool you know how to use is a hammer the whole world looks like a nail.

[YOY]

3. Only one stands out. The suicide.

Looks more like a geeky younger brother I wish I had than the usual sports trophies decked out everywhere in most other photos you see.

Lots of Geek memoribilia...probably was a gamer too.

Rest easy troubled dreamer...

[Mari333]

4. killing our own children and other people's children for nothing.

that is what we are doing.

all for corporations to secure profits.

knr.


I cannot even look at my youngest son's belongings. believe me, these families lives are utterly destroyed for good. I can assure you.

[av8rdave]

5. Those are heartbreaking

But a great presentation. Maybe it will remind some of the warmongers that these are everybody's daughters and sons being sacrificed.

Thank you for posting.

[Mari333]

7. never thought I would see warmongers on DU

never in a million years.

[Fumesucker]

8. I long ago learned that Lily Tomlin was absolutely right when she said:

"No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up."

Every time I've been blindsided in my life it is through being insufficiently cynical.

[Mari333]

10. well spoken.

I am most furious at the lack of journalism occurring in these occupations. nothing. no one is investigating anything, there is no coverage of anything. Its as tho it is not happening, and it is.
where is the coverage?

[Robb]

20. When you put half the people who talk about the war on "ignore"

...you tend to miss a lot of LBN. Just pointing that out.

[Fumesucker]

32. I've never put anyone at all on ignore n/t

[av8rdave]

15. Hopefully there aren't....

I was hoping it will be seen by a lot more than just DUers.

That was the point I was so ineptly trying to make.

[Mari333]

17. they need to see the dead soldiers on the ground

and the caskets, and the funerals, and the babies we are blowing up

in full graphic detail

they are paying for this murderous occupation after all.

[av8rdave]

24. Good point....

Though I have to say that seeing the bedrooms of the departed is something new, and hopefully it helps drive home the point that these kids were just like most everyone's kids. The warmongers never stop to imagine how it would be if it was THEIR child's now vacant room they found themselves staring at as their heart bruises and bleeds forever.

[Mari333]

25. indeed. these are our children. and the families will NEVER HEAL

you can take that to the bank.

[Fumesucker]

18. Oh, there are several here and they are quite vocal about it.. n/t

[L0oniX]

29. ...and even chicken hawks.

[patrice]

21. Right on, av8rdave! There IS an Us and these are our sons & daughters.

I have my doubts about whether that Us is something called America, but it IS real.

[Mari333]

6. keep this kicked. k

[Raster]

9. This was one of the most tragically poignant collections I've ever seen.

Most of these kids really were just kids, having their lives blown apart because of greed and vanity.

Fuck you George W. Bush*
Fuck you Dick Cheney*
Fuck you Donald Rumsfeld*
Fuck you Condolezza Rice*
Fuck you Colin Powell*
Fuck you Alberto Gonzalez*
Fuck you Tom Ridge*
Fuck you Michael Chertoff*
Fuck you Robert Gates*
____________
*War criminal

[Mari333]

13. and a big fuck you to anyone who continues these occupations

[sailor65]

22. As much as you might not like to,

you need to add some more names to your list. Look at how recent some of those "Killed" dates are :-(

Peace

[Mari333]

23. yep. bush policies continue on

[Raster]

28. Oh I *completely* agree. The war crimes by war criminals continue to this day.

But my special message was to the SELECTED, not elected, pResidential administration of cheney*/bush* that knowingly began illegal and immoral wars of aggression, based on lies, buoyed by vanity and greed. Much was made at the time--and then of course faded--that there was seemingly no bonafide exit plan from the Middle East quagmire. And there was and is a very good reason for that: the parties that initiated these wars had no intention of American servicemen and women ever leaving.

The horrific events of 9/11 were the public justification. The plans and schemes were in process long before the "terrorist" actions.

None of these kids had to die. None of the hundreds of thousands of INNOCENT Iraqis had to die. No one had to die.

[Solly Mack]

11. k/r

[patrice]

12. Infinitudes of potentiality Dead, Maimed, or Enslaved by War Debt.

[slipslidingaway]

14. knr :( n/t

[Zywiec]

16. Awesome!

Thanks for sharing that link.

:kick:

[ThatsMyBarack]

19. There's an unmade bed in one kid's room....

But they are all equally heartbreaking. :cry:

[Mari333]

26. k

[Are_grits_groceries]

27. k nt

[L0oniX]

30. Still want to join the military? When you are dead, you have no country.

[AzDar]

31. I got through three slides and burst into tears.

OUT NOW!!!

[Are_grits_groceries]

33. Didn't make it that far. nt

[CaliforniaPeggy]

34. Heartbreaking. Outrageous.

Criminal, the actions of those who started this, and those who continue this.

But more than that.

The sheer waste, the immeasurable loss, of those young hopeful lives.

That's what really makes me weep.

Those young people, cut off from any meaningful living, by the horrific waste of these wars.

When will we ever learn?


K&R

:cry:

[LWolf]

35. We're allowing this to happen to more families for no good reason.

In the early Bush years I looked at the faces of my students and prayed that it would end before they were old enough to go. I was thankful that my own sons, in their early 20s, did not choose to go. I worried, and prayed, for my younger son's best friend, who did. He did 4 tours, survived, and came home disabled and needing extensive mental health care.

Now I look at my grandson, who is 10, and for the first time am grateful for the heart defect that will keep him out of military service.

Because I don't see an end to this in my lifetime.

As long as Democrats keep electing people willing to continue to wage war around the globe, I expect we'll be at war until the nation is reduced to a poverty-riddled bankrupt state that allows some other nation to step forward as the new "super power."

Hopefully, they'll wield that power more responsibly.

[kath]

36. Oh, God, I'm sobbing - something I've never done while looking at a DU post..

What a total fucking waste.
I'm leaving for the airport in 2 hours, to pick up my 19 yo daughter coming home for spring break. I've spent much of the day getting her room ready for her arrival. To look at those pictures of other young peoples' bedrooms... :cry: :cry:

[PA Democrat]

37. Empty rooms and broken hearts. We need to bring our troops home.