War comes calling

Again.

Published on April 29, 2004 By dharmagrl In Politics

I, as I'm sure a good proportion of the American public are, have become somewhat unaffected by all the images of war and conflict pouring out of Iraq these days. We're exposed to it on a daily basis; it's easy to become immune to photos of blood, battle and gore. Every newspaper and news channel shows so much of it, so many scenes of death and destruction that I tend to just not take much notice anymore.

Until this morning. I logged into MSNBC and was confronted with an image that made me hitch in my breath and stop what I was going to do. It was another reminder of the human face of this conflict, one that I had convieniently managed to compartmentalize after the bombing of Balad where I thought that I had lost friends and colleagues.

This photo is relatively simple, but very powerful nonetheless. It's a kevlar helmet. Bloodied and torn, laying on a road. You can see it for yourself:

Link

Why does this bother me so much? Because I've seen my husband's head in one of those. I've worn one of those, I've held one, I've had one sitting in my house on my husband's dresser. I've seen those things in regular use around my 'hometown'; the base that I live on. As a matter of fact, there's an exercise going on this week and everyone's walking around in chemical gear wearing gas masks and kevlar helmets. It's a common thing, pretty much everyone who's active duty has one regardless of their job title or rank. We all make jokes about 'turtle shells' on people's heads; my kids have all gone up and rapped their knuckles on my husband's helmet and agreed that it's harder and heavier than it looked.

That's why I found it to powerful...because it's something I can relate to seeing daily. All too often the pictures coming out of Iraq are alien to us; they're of a foreign land that most of have never been too. What we know about the terrain, the country, the culture is just what we've learnt in school or have been told by the media. It's easy to remove ourselves from it because it IS so far away.

This hit pretty close to home for me. Again.

Comments (Page 1)

Sherye Hanson

on Apr 29, 2004

When I heard that the psyops reservists were going to the war and that their stays were longer than a year because of their skills, it hit home. My son was in the psyops. He is no longer active and has health issues that would prevent him going but still I knew that other mother's sons were there. For you it has to be much closer, since he is there.

JillUser

on Apr 29, 2004

Very touching article Dharma. Everyone has something different that brings it home to them. I also thought it brave of you to admit that you are desensitized about the war. I found myself clicking through channels last night and bypassing the latest stuff about the war. I then stopped and thought "Our guys don't have the option of taking a break from participating, I shouldn't take a break from watching and listening."

crimson

on Apr 29, 2004

I wonder, if I wasn't a frequent blogger, how much of the war I would actually hear about. I mean, Canada recieves the same coverage as you do, but I don't have TV at home. I read my local paper and generally keep up to date on Canadian issues, but as far as listening daily about war and the States... nada. I don't go out of my way to read about it, but have thought about it more often, because of yours, and other bloggers who write about these things. It's easy to say that it's not my country, but I'd be a fool to suggest that we aren't affected by what happens to you guys.
Peace.

dharmagrl

on Apr 29, 2004

I AM desensitized, partly because I live this stuff. I see it and hear about it everywhere I look: wives on base talking about their husbands being gone, more deployments to here and there, friends talking about other friends in Iraq or 'the sandbox'. It's all just a part of daily life for me...something that I got used to. It's not until I hear or see things that strike particularly close to home that I really stop and think about it...and then I'm left incredibly saddened by it all.

That helmet in the picture...that was protecting someone's head. Someone's kid, someone's brother, or sister or friend. The blood that's on it...that came from a living, breathing, speaking, thinking, PERSON. A human being. Could have been someone you know. Could easily BE someone you know if this drags on long enough and the draft is reinstated...shit, if that happens, it could be YOU.

This war has been portrayed as a game of logistics in the media thus far. It's all about troop movements, and what we're going to do next and where. 'We're going to take Falluja'...yeah, but who's 'we'? Is the President going to go strap on a kevlar helmet, grab an M-16 and go? No. 'We' are people. Real people.

How many of you stop to think about what '10 GI's killed today' really means? Think about it like this: imagine 10 people you know. Now imagine them dead. All at once. Now imagine how many lives their death will affect in addition to your own. It would be pretty easy to get up into the hundreds, wouldn't it? And that's just from the deaths of 10 soldiers/ sailors/airmen.

Like I said, it's all so incredibly sad.

greywar

on Apr 29, 2004

My wife is trying to volunteer for deployment and even as proud as I am of her and even over the slight envy I have, I still feel a bit of fear that she will suceed in her quest.

dharmagrl

on Apr 29, 2004

I still feel a bit of fear that she will suceed in her quest.

And if you didn't feel that fear I don't think you'd be human, grey.

It's a scary fucking thing, all this conflict and fighting.

shadesofgrey

on Apr 29, 2004

Dharma--

I've been mulling this over all day--I've probably re-read it 5 times. Both my dad and my brother are military, so I oscilate between being desensitized and having it hit home on a regular basis. I work hard trying to acheive perspective, to truly understand the sacrifice, but fall well short all the time. Thanks for a thought provoking article.

How many of you stop to think about what '10 GI's killed today' really means? Think about it like this: imagine 10 people you know. Now imagine them dead. All at once. Now imagine how many lives their death will affect in addition to your own. It would be pretty easy to get up into the hundreds, wouldn't it? And that's just from the deaths of 10 soldiers/ sailors/airmen.

It's almost inconceivable. My mind can not begin to comprehend such a loss.

dharmagrl

on Apr 29, 2004

I oscilate between being desensitized and having it hit home on a regular basis.

And that's EXACTLY how I feel. I'm so glad someone else understands!

Muggaz

on Apr 29, 2004

These Pictures and article is something I found quite disturbing...

When someone else tortures, they are a dictator and need to be removed... good old American double standards... Make sure you scroll down and look at the Iraqi standing on a box with wires pertruding from his limbs - he was told if he moved from the box he would be electrocuted... but its all in the name of freedom.. so that makes it ok?

Sorry... Its a bit of a tangent, but these images are the ones i find most disturbing...

BAM!!!

dharmagrl

on Apr 29, 2004

I found them disturbing too, Muggaz.

I'm pro-humanity as far as war and conflict go.

greywar

on Apr 29, 2004

Muggaz - The difference is that in that very article the people responsible are being prosecuted. The *people* did this atrocity not the Government. Wehn the crime was found out the people got punished. Even though the headline and caption of this article go out of their way to slant opinion against the country, the country didn't do it.

BlueDev

on Apr 29, 2004

I too have been skipping over the media coverage of the war lately. I think it is for two reasons. First, if I go past it fast I think there is a part of me that doesn't have to think about it. Second, I think I am afraid of being reminded just how personal it is for some people.

Thanks for the reminder dharmagrl. There are some amazing people making some amazing sacrifices. Real people with real stories that may never be told. I hope I can remember that with every one of these stories I see.

InfoGeek

on Apr 29, 2004

True, but the soldiers are seen correctly as representatives of the United States by the occupied. They see one american acting, they assume albeit incorrectly that all americans act that way.

Yes, the soldiers are being punished, as they should be, but the actions of a few can have tremendous impact on the many.

IG

greywar

on Apr 29, 2004

I apologize for helping to contribute to what could have been a hijacking of this thread. My apologies again dharma

dharmagrl

on Apr 29, 2004

It's ok, grey. No biggie. This one isn't as personal as the last one, so I'm not too worried about it getting off-subject.

Thanks for the apology, though.

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