Iraq War Kills "inside USA" too
Submitted by Dr. Peace:
When polled, many Americans object to a war ONLY IF they cannot win that war. Perhaps many other nations have a similar attitude about wars: They're not bothered as long as wars do not affect them or as long as THEIR COUNTRY WINS the WAR- as if war is another game in the Olympics!
We all know about the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and thousands of American troops and contractors, who have been hurt or killed "inside Iraq" since the US invasion of Iraq. As a peace activist, I have always been curious about consequences and casualties of war "outside" the war zone and for many "years to come." So over the years, I have watched or collected references to war-related casualties inside the US. These do not include injured soldiers who return home from Iraq and die here in the U.S. while under treatment. These are related to violence perpetrated by veterans of wars after their return from wars, in their hometowns and against their spouses, families, friends, neighbors or fellow Americans. I have listed a small sample of what I have collected over the years here:
- Study Finds 300,000 U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer mental problems.
This last story was the basis for the Hollywood movie, In the Valley of Elah, an Academy Award -nominated 2007 film written and directed by Paul Haggis, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron and Susan Sarandon.
- A U.S. marine veteran of Iraq war shot dead in a road rage and argument in Atlanta, Georgia.
and many many more.
In fact, the issue of homicides by combat-stressed veterans gained national prominence in January, after The New York Times reported that at least 121 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans had committed a killing in the United States or been charged in one.
It is also reported now that "Suicide rates" for young male Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans is hitting record highs, according to statistics released by the Department of Veterans Affairs. In 2006 alone, "at least" 113 of the Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans killed themselves.
In Bible, in the Book or Matthews, verse 26:52, Jesus says unto apostle Peter who draws a sword to defend Jesus against Roman soldiers:
"Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."
This is the basis for the famous expression in America: "Live by the sword, die by the sword." Another well known expression is "We reap what we sow."
I wish more people would think harder about long-term consequences of wars. Regardless of who apparently "wins" more land or inflicts more casualties, the truth is there are often no winners in wars. Ask the innocent 3-month old American girl who was raped by a man damaged in a war thousands of miles away.
