thedrifter
07-27-06, 06:27 PM
Wineke: With another war on, don't forget our own
BILL WINEKE Wisconsin State Journal
July 27, 2006
Just a reminder: There's still a war going on in Iraq.
You could almost forget that if you watch the evening news broadcasts, which are now devoted almost entirely to the tragedy in Lebanon. All the big-name anchors are either in Israel or in Beirut and, seemingly, all the cameramen are, too.
Even the visit of Iraq's prime minister to Washington and his speech Wednesday to Congress was couched in reaction to his position that Israel must stop its efforts to weed out and destroy terrorists in Lebanon.
That's understandable. "News" is about what is "new," and the bombings and counter-bombings in Lebanon and Israel are new. The fighting there has gone on for two weeks; the fighting in Iraq has gone on for more than three years.
Of course, when a military officer comes to your door to inform you your son has been killed in Iraq, that's news of an excruciating sort.
Steve Castner, 27, of Cedarburg, a member of the Wisconsin National Guard, had been in Iraq for only three days when a bomb exploded near his vehicle, killing him. His family learned of his death Monday.
Castner, who was trained in electronics, was the kind of soldier we hold dear. He served a stint in the Air Force, returned to Wisconsin and to college and then joined the Guard about a year ago.
He was assigned the job of escorting convoys and was on his first mission Monday when the bomb exploded. He joins 56 other Wisconsin military men and women who have given their lives in this conflict.
Unfortunately, he was not alone. During the two weeks the fighting has been going on in Israel and in Lebanon, some 24 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq.
None of this diminishes the tragedy of Lebanon. It's sad to turn on the news and see those beautiful cities turned to rubble. It's sad to think that a country just beginning to get its feet on the ground can be so destroyed.
Our government has decided to side openly with Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says we won't intervene in the fighting until Israel manages to break the back of Hezbollah. This is certainly a new approach to the situation and I hope it works, since it's too late to choose any other course.
In the meantime, things never seem to get better in Iraq - and Iraq is where the most American soldiers and marines are serving. To date, more than 2,565 of them have been killed and almost 19,000 wounded.
There are plenty of opportunities to talk about the politics of this situation, plenty of opportunity to argue about the tactics of the war.
But, for today, it is sufficient to just stop for a moment and remember that these are our sons and daughters, doing what they think is right and doing it with courage and dedication to their country.
The news may shift to another war for a few days, but our prayers for these men and women in Iraq must remain constant. Our prayers today are for Steve Castner.
Ellie
BILL WINEKE Wisconsin State Journal
July 27, 2006
Just a reminder: There's still a war going on in Iraq.
You could almost forget that if you watch the evening news broadcasts, which are now devoted almost entirely to the tragedy in Lebanon. All the big-name anchors are either in Israel or in Beirut and, seemingly, all the cameramen are, too.
Even the visit of Iraq's prime minister to Washington and his speech Wednesday to Congress was couched in reaction to his position that Israel must stop its efforts to weed out and destroy terrorists in Lebanon.
That's understandable. "News" is about what is "new," and the bombings and counter-bombings in Lebanon and Israel are new. The fighting there has gone on for two weeks; the fighting in Iraq has gone on for more than three years.
Of course, when a military officer comes to your door to inform you your son has been killed in Iraq, that's news of an excruciating sort.
Steve Castner, 27, of Cedarburg, a member of the Wisconsin National Guard, had been in Iraq for only three days when a bomb exploded near his vehicle, killing him. His family learned of his death Monday.
Castner, who was trained in electronics, was the kind of soldier we hold dear. He served a stint in the Air Force, returned to Wisconsin and to college and then joined the Guard about a year ago.
He was assigned the job of escorting convoys and was on his first mission Monday when the bomb exploded. He joins 56 other Wisconsin military men and women who have given their lives in this conflict.
Unfortunately, he was not alone. During the two weeks the fighting has been going on in Israel and in Lebanon, some 24 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq.
None of this diminishes the tragedy of Lebanon. It's sad to turn on the news and see those beautiful cities turned to rubble. It's sad to think that a country just beginning to get its feet on the ground can be so destroyed.
Our government has decided to side openly with Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says we won't intervene in the fighting until Israel manages to break the back of Hezbollah. This is certainly a new approach to the situation and I hope it works, since it's too late to choose any other course.
In the meantime, things never seem to get better in Iraq - and Iraq is where the most American soldiers and marines are serving. To date, more than 2,565 of them have been killed and almost 19,000 wounded.
There are plenty of opportunities to talk about the politics of this situation, plenty of opportunity to argue about the tactics of the war.
But, for today, it is sufficient to just stop for a moment and remember that these are our sons and daughters, doing what they think is right and doing it with courage and dedication to their country.
The news may shift to another war for a few days, but our prayers for these men and women in Iraq must remain constant. Our prayers today are for Steve Castner.
Ellie