"Thank you," said the 18 ish driver. "I love you," called out her 18 ish passenger as both young ladies smiled and waved. It was a lovely start to a vigil which drew numerous horn honks, waves, thumbs up, two fingered peace signs and even a military salute from one gentleman.
Meanwhile it was a busy few days in Iraq. President Obama visited "Camp Victory," a huge U.S. military base located near the Baghdad International Airport. During his five hour stay, he rallied the U.S. troops and met with Iraqi government leaders.
But in Baghdad, just hours before Mr. Obama's arrival a car bomb exploded, causing the neighborhood to tremble like it was struck by an earthquake and compounded by the ear shattering noise it caused widespread fear. In the aftermath, at least nine people were dead and 18 more severely wounded and left for rescuers in the charred smoldering rubble. They were among the 13 Iraqis killed and 31 wounded that day.
13 killed and 31 wounded may seem like just numbers. But 31 wounded for example is the number of children in a typical U.S. classroom. Picture 31 people in which some will never walk again, some will never see again, some will never hear again and others will be brain damaged.
As for the 13 dead, picture a soccer team, all killed suddenly, now laying in flower draped coffins as their families cry aloud for them, in agony nothing can comfort. Their loss is permanent and never again will they share good times or hear the words "I love you" and no amount of tears can bring that person back to them. The dead were often mothers and fathers and some were little children.
And all of that happened in just in one day.
The day before was worse. Across Baghdad, outside America's heavily armed Green Zone, a series of bombs turned markets into burnt cinders as bodies and body parts were blown far and wide, and blood pooled in the streets, seeping into every crack. In the stench of burned flesh rotting in the sun, a piece of cardboard was used to collect what was left of the gray Jello like substance of a child's brain.
A total of 40 Iraqi men, women and children were killed that day and at least 143 were severely injured. A U.S. soldier was also killed.
This followed a several hour long weekend gun battle in which heavily armed, former U.S. supported Sunni gunmen called by the U.S. the "Sons of Iraq" fought the Shiite led Iraqi government soldiers. In support of the government troops, the U.S. deployed Apache helicopter gun ships, with their engines roaring back and forth over roof tops and along the streets, their fearful presence felt by all as they can instantly rain death down on anyone with a fiery blast of explosives or in a hail of bullets.
The Bush Administration had lavishly praised these Sunni gunmen as nearly 100,000 of them were put on the U.S. payroll in 2007, paid to change sides, killing al-Qaeda fighters instead of U.S. soldiers during the U.S. surge.
Last October, these Sunnis were to be hired by the Iraqi government, but few have been because the government doesn't trust them and views many of them as thugs. They are now unemployed and feel betrayed by the U.S. and the Iraqi government and being recruited by al-Qaeda to rejoin them. It is estimated there are 50,000 of these Sunni gunmen in Baghdad alone.
But returning to the candlelight vigil: "Is there a church you go to," asked a 50 ish woman accompanied by her husband. "We go to church in Little Tokyo [in downtown Los Angeles] but it's too far away. I would like to find a church in which the Minister doesn't put me to sleep. So far I've failed at that."
Later a 75 ish couple from their car stared harshly at the vigil. They squinted their eyes and cringed their faces as if they'd just smelled rotten eggs. However, in the back seat their 15 ish granddaughter smiled broadly and waved. Ah, teenage rebellion.
Near the vigil's end, two 15 ish girls rode up on their bikes and one wore a light blue shirt with rainbow colored writing on the front that read, "Love is the answer." When told that was a popular phrase in the 1960's, she cringed as the older couple had done seemingly not wanting to be associated with something a prior generation thought was cool.
But as simple as "Love is the answer" is, in concept it is far better than the brutal actions the U.S. is taking in Iraq in a war that has no end in sight. This vigil is conducted in memory of all who have paid so severe a price in that war and with love to everyone.
Dick
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