Can we agree not to exploit the soldier who will be/is the 1000th fatality

[Sinistrous]

in Iraq, and restrict our comments to compassion for the family and friends?

Let's show that our level of humanity is on a higher plane than that of the Republicans, right-wingers, and freeptards.

[htuttle]

1. Sure. Taking the high ground has gotten us to where we are today

But where is that?

[daddybear]

7. Exactly...

it has gotten us a warmomgering drunk for a white house resident.

[wolfgirl]

2. No exploitation...

just tears!:cry:

[annabanana]

3. We are given no opportunity to honor the fallen.......

They come in quietly, under media blackout. If the family of the unfortunate Thousandth soldier want us to cry out, then we should.

[Spentastic]

4. I'm not agreeing shit

Another young man or woman is about to die due to the actions of Bush et al. Their names should be tatooed on his sorry hide.

[luaneryder]

17. Amen to that.

I want each and every name of the dead and wounded, US, Iraqi, Afghan, any and all, to be burned into this evil man's flesh and into his mind. I want him to suffer as he has made all of them and thier families to suffer. There is no penalty too harsh for *; none.

[daddybear]

5. Not sure...

Not sure that is a great distinction... and one which anyone will exploit per se any more than the first one... but yes, I will be sure that Bushee's KNOW thier Resident has bought about 1,000 and counting...our soldiers have and are dying because of the lies that Bush told himself and America... I say: Lest We Forget (which is what THEY want us to do)... proclaim it.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Would righteous, white-hot fury be exploitation?

Me, I don't think so, and I think it's a reasonable and wholly appropriate response.

Calculated outrage would be exploitive.

[Liberal Veteran]

8. I'll not exploit it the same way that Repubs didn't exploit 9/11.

I don't think it's wrong to point out this was a bad war and that the lives of our soldiers were spent for reasons that are less than compelling.

[shawcomm]

9. The 1000th could be the turning point for us

It's not like we're hoping for it, or will celebrate it, just that we recognize it as a milestone in this stupid illegal war.

For some reason, 997 deaths and people shrug, 999 and people shrug, but hitting 1000 and people will take notice. It's not unlike the psychological aspect of pricing, how a person won't buy something for ten dollars, but will at 9.99. I don't claim to understand it, but that's just how it seems to work.

[Trajan]

10. It is wrong for you to ask this ....

and here is why;

The 1000th soldier to die is actually no different than the 999 that went before: he is to be honored for his service and sacrifice for his nation .... This is only natural for a nation to honor each and every one equally ....

The only real significance of there being a '1000th' soldier IS political .... when we speak of compassion for the families and friends; we speak equally for those of 999 as we do for 1000 as we do for 1001 .. EVERY one deserves equal honor ... not just the 1000th ... our empathy and sympathy extends to each one ....

The ONLY distinction of the 1000th death of a soldier is the reflection it brings on military and diplomatic policy .... there is nothing else BUT politics to talk about when we consider an awful 'milestone' such as this ....

Your plea is misplaced ....

[Julien Sorel]

11. The media will do it.

It's one of those things, I think, that needs to sink in before people are susceptible to outrage.

I remember before the invasion, there were polls that had hypotheticals like this:

I would support the invasion of Iraq if it meant that the U.S. would sustain, 100, 250, 500, 1000 deaths.

The more deaths, the lesser the support, but I seem to remember a big drop right around 1000, down to about 30% or maybe less, supporting the war. Wish I could see those polls now. At any rate, that was then and this is now, and people don't seem to be paying attention to deaths there, but 1000 is a magic sounding number. When the media start saying that, and people realize most of those deaths came after Bush's Mission Accomplished speech, it can hardly reflect well on him.

[juajen]

12. Don't think so, no.

The bigger deal made of this, the more people will be aware that these wonderful young people should not be pawns in a game of chess played by the military-industrial complex. I believe you're on the wrong track.

[yellerpup]

13. No reason to celebrate that sad news.

[mopaul]

14. he's already been subjected to the ULTIMATE EXPLOITATION

[Brotherjohn]

15. As I posted earlier: One American death for this war was one too many...

... 1000 is a thousand times too many.

Just how is it that we are "exploiting" the death of American troops in expressing outrage over their deaths?

That is the charge they'll make, I know. But the Bushies just can't understand that it is the actions and results of their man that drives those on the oppostite side of the fence from them, not politics.

We are not driven to oppose anything Bush does b/c he is a Republican. We do not resort to using anything, including the deaths of our soldiers, as a cynical political tool (as they use 9-11 ad nauseum). We are outraged that his war of choice has resulted in the death of so many of our young men and women, and each death makes us more outraged.

They cannot deal with that simple reality, and that everyone does not simply march in lockstep with them into war. So they impugn the patriotism of their critics and accuse them of exploiting our soldiers' deaths... accusations which in fact would be more appropriately levelled against themselves.

[Sinistrous]

16. Good comments from all. My plea was badly phrased.

I was thinking about not using this soldier's name in our comments, out of deference to his family.

[spanone]

18. It's fair to point out the fact.....That a thousand have died needlessly.