Last night I was watching the movie "Troy".
At one point in the bloody unfolding of the Trojan War, Briseis asks Achilles of all the killing, "When does it end?" to which Achilles responds, "It never ends."
Three thousand years later, the fledgling nation of America established Memorial Day to commemorate the 600,000 who died during a particularly gruesome and bloody Civil War.
Today marks the 140th observation of Memorial Day while U.S. wars continue to rage, continuously contributing to and renewing the true meaning and necessity for this day.
Last evening I received my daily e-mail from Information Clearing House with the subject line, "U.S. Marine Beheaded."
Opening this mail, there was a link purporting "to Show 2 U.S. marines Beheaded and Abused." It came with the following warning:
WARNING
These images depict the savagery and horror of war
and should only be viewed by a mature audience.
Viewing the particularly graphic imagery, I realized in posting pictures here last weekend celebrating Armed Forces Day and our nation's history of militancy, I neglected to forewarn you of the images contained therein. For that, I am sorry and regret it if I offended anyone's sensitivities.And so, in an effort to make amends for last weekend, I'm reposting those photos here with the warning that the following images should be viewed by mature audiences only.
photos from El Paso Times
If you are not offended by these images, I am thankful. Thankful I did not offend you.
But so long as we continue to have pictures like these, we will continue to have pictures...
....like these!
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!
3 comments:
I forwarded on this post to friends, called it "graphic & gruesome truth". You are right-- the "cute" kid photos playing in tanks are not cute at all, and it's sick to think so. When will it end, and Have we had enough & Why-- are very good questions, but I can't help but wonder why more soldiers are not compelled to Just say No. The military has supressed the numbers of those refusing to go to 2nd & more deployments in Iraq, but you'd think more soldiers would decide spending time in the slammer would be a clear upgrade from spending time in the illegal occupation in Iraq. Just the other day I read a quote from "the Decider" who said "things will get worse in August". What the hell? Is the decider a psychic, or does the military plan on putting bullseye target symbols on soldiers uniforms & supply the Iraqis with weapons?
I'd like to refer you to the 5/27 Eugene Register Guard front page story about a soldier who stepped on an IED. No sugar coating going on in that article, the 14,500 injured soldiers who did not quite die, but are severely injured will need lifelong medical care that will exceed the cost of war. It even talks about the schrapnel embedded in his face, can't be removed with laser treatment, as there may be bits of explosives that would burn if lasered. He enlisted during peace time, enticed by the prospect of college funds from the military. Every kid thinking of enlisting, should have to read that article BEFORE they think of signing. I can't stand to watch film footage of Bush placing a wreath in a military cemetary today.
What will he say- "Thanks for your sacrifice, send more"?? Why has he not been Impeached? I can only think there is a special place in hell reserved for him.
Fran: Thanks for this comment. I smiled when I read your mention of our great "Decider" lowering our expectations for his surge by telling us it's going to get bloodier this summer. In considering this blog, that was one of the items I had thought of mentioning, i.e., the raising our presence there while lowering our expectations.
You obviously appreciate the dripping hypocrisy that oozes from our president's lips whenever he speaks. (I'm sure he hasn't a clue how ridiculous he sounds; to hear a deserter from his champagne guard duty comforting families of dead GI's, or to hear him comforting soldiers at Walter Reed or Bethesda from their pain, when our C-I-C didn't have the courage to suffer through his cushy stateside tour of duty sickens the sensitive among us.)
And yet it is but one area of many that we must suffer his obscene sanctimony almost daily whenever he opens his mouth to speak publicly, be it "spreading democracy" overseas at the expense of our own, to holding up as example to us all a single mom trying desperately to make ends meet for her family buy working three jobs as demonstration of the sacrifice we should all be willing to make--one that he never has!
Were Bush to be banned from speaking his hypocrisies, he would have nothing to say.
Thank you for referring me to the story in yesterday's The Eugene Register Guard. The really sobering thought is the fact this is happening in nearly 15,000 cases of wounded around the nation. And that DOES NOT INCLUDE all the "unharmed" walking wounded with PTSD.
This war will be our costliest ever, extracting more than just financial bankruptcy of the nation but a social cost none of us are prepared to pay. This will be the legacy of Bush "playing president," a sick game none of us can afford.
thanks for your pics -- and the grim reminder
however it's not baby bush who perpetrates these crimes not really, he's far to stupid to have thought this o ne up -- it is the puppet masters -- those men behind the scenes who get rich off of the dead
nuff said
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