Paramount Theatre
The Human Cost of Iraq
RECEIVED Fri., May 23, 2008
Dear Editor,
Finally someone in the media has the courage to point out the human tragedy and loss of life in Iraq [“Point Austin,” News, May 23].
While I grieve for all of the death and destruction in China and Myanmar, these natural disasters were in some instances unavoidable, though the response rate of the Burmese government and the shoddy construction of the Chinese have added significantly to the death toll.
Iraq is not a "natural" disaster but is and was avoidable. The U.S. is now responsible for the deaths of at least 600,000 Iraqi civilians (Lancet, October 2006). Estimates show this number may be on the low end and closer to 1 million.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees did a study (November 2007) on "internally displaced persons" from Iraq and found 2.7 million have left the county. The U.S., in its "gratitude," has allowed only 2,000 IDPs into the United States. Syria, labeled a "terrorist sponsor" state, allowed 1.3 millions Iraqi IDPs into its country.
Darfur, while in itself also a great human tragedy, has a U.N. estimate of 300,000 dead. Which is worse, the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the genocide in the Sudan? The brutality of both are hard to equate or even measure.
So what do we do? Molly Ivins, in her final article before she passed away, said, "We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!'"
Molly was right … do something! The Senate passed a war-funding bill of more than $165 billion to fund through 2009. This bill will go to the House for approval sometime in the next week. Contact your congressional representative at www.house.gov.
Tell them no more money for this or any other war. Molly would be proud.
Finally someone in the media has the courage to point out the human tragedy and loss of life in Iraq [“Point Austin,” News, May 23].
While I grieve for all of the death and destruction in China and Myanmar, these natural disasters were in some instances unavoidable, though the response rate of the Burmese government and the shoddy construction of the Chinese have added significantly to the death toll.
Iraq is not a "natural" disaster but is and was avoidable. The U.S. is now responsible for the deaths of at least 600,000 Iraqi civilians (Lancet, October 2006). Estimates show this number may be on the low end and closer to 1 million.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Refugees did a study (November 2007) on "internally displaced persons" from Iraq and found 2.7 million have left the county. The U.S., in its "gratitude," has allowed only 2,000 IDPs into the United States. Syria, labeled a "terrorist sponsor" state, allowed 1.3 millions Iraqi IDPs into its country.
Darfur, while in itself also a great human tragedy, has a U.N. estimate of 300,000 dead. Which is worse, the U.S. invasion of Iraq or the genocide in the Sudan? The brutality of both are hard to equate or even measure.
So what do we do? Molly Ivins, in her final article before she passed away, said, "We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!'"
Molly was right … do something! The Senate passed a war-funding bill of more than $165 billion to fund through 2009. This bill will go to the House for approval sometime in the next week. Contact your congressional representative at www.house.gov.
Tell them no more money for this or any other war. Molly would be proud.
Paz y amor,
James M. Turpin
James M. Turpin
