Sunday, September 05, 2004

The Ice Beneath Them

1100 wounded in Iraq in August. One doesn't know what wounded means, exactly, but we know that it's frequently quite bad. Amputations. Blinding. Brain Damage.

It isn't just that which should concern us. The thing I can't comprehend is what those returning home must think. While the chickenhawks would have us believe that the thing upsetting the troops the most is the existence of protesters (could be true, I have no idea), I can't imagine that there isn't at least one more thing of concern - the fact that this war seems to have faded from consciousness.

I can't imagine much about being a combat soldier, but one thing I think I for some reason (maybe incorrectly) feel like I have a glimpse of understanding about is what it must feel like to come home from the Biggest Event of Your Life, an event which you thought was The Most Important Thing To Your Country, and find that it barely even registered in the news.

odd, that.