a four-digit number has replaced the usual beer specials

[ckramer]

Pub owner Joey Jones said he let patrons keep guessing the meaning of the number in the early weeks he posted it: "Is that how many cheese steaks you sold? Is that how many this, how many that?"

Finally, as the number continued to grow, reaching 1,654 by Friday afternoon, the words "I CASUALTIES DOT ORG" went up below the number. The Web site, icasualties.org, is the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

link

[MichiDem]

1. If I were a tavern owner

I'd stay out of politics, it can be bad for business.

But I applaud him non the less.

[htuttle]

2. Sometimes, saying what you gotta say is more important than business

:shrug:

[margaritamama]

31. If only

more people would believe that!! Including the president!
:shrug:

[da_chimperor]

3. I don't view stating the number of US casualties in Iraq as political

:shrug:

[Toots]

7. Yes business and politics do not mix well.

Especially in a bar. :shrug:

[Bridget Burke]

14. Politics? We just had Memorial Day....

The whole purpose of which is to remember those who died in service to their country.

Why should we ignore the latest dead?

[LynnTheDem]

16. "politics"...

So I'm in "politics" huh, since I am one of the Iraq Casualty Count researchers.

Gee. And all this time, I thought I was just being human. You know, giving a shit about dead American citizens and making sure they're not allowed to simply die forgotten.

[MichiDem]

19. Do you think many of the

people doing what you are doing are pro 'W'?

[LynnTheDem]

20. What has being pro or anti bush have ANYTHING whatsoever to do with

making sure NONE of our soldiers die FORGOTTEN??? Making sure NONE of their names are FORGOTTEN???

Are you saying only anti-bush people give a shit about our troops???

Excuse me but WTF does making sure all soldiers' deaths are listed have to do with being anti-ANYONE???

I guess the Pentagon, Cencom and DoD are all "anti-bush" too, then.

Yeah, we all just keep track of soldiers' deaths to make bush look bad. All facts & reality are just facts & reality to make bush look bad.

:eyes:

[MichiDem]

21. Is this how you always react?

Calm down.

BTW- you never did answer my question

[LynnTheDem]

27. To stupid-ass questions? You bet it is.

Don't condescend to me with your "calm down".

And yes, I did actually answer your stupid-ass question. The same way I answer when freeper-moran rightwingnuts "ask" such "questions".

Enjoy your stay on DU.

[freeplessinseattle]

23. yeah, 'cause it's all about being selfish, right? (nt)

[LiberalFighter]

32. By the way

It is nonetheless

[pfitz59]

39. i frequent a tavern which caters to.....

leftists! books and posters line the walls. Repukes are not welcome! it does very well, thank you!

[TlalocW]

4. He's doing it smart

He's coming off as wanting people to take a minute from their busy day to remember that we still have troops over there, and some have made the ultimate sacrifice.

TlalocW

[babylonsister]

5. Good for Joey Jones!

He's making people THINK! And the number of soldiers dead shouldn't annoy anyone as it's not like he killed them. Might get them to thinking about who put these lives in harm's way.

[lse7581011]

6. I Decided To Fly My Flag This Weekend

for the first time since the elections. But, I posted it with the following disclaimer: I do not fly this flag in support of our current adminstration and it's atrocities but rather in defiance of them. Sort of made my guests stop and think as well.

[Tempest]

8. I fly my flag upside down

It's been flown upside down every day since the start of the war.

My neighbors hate it, but I've told them to fuck off and mind their own business.

[lse7581011]

9. Something I Had Considered

but the type of flag it is (on the side of my apartment-in a stationary flag pole)I couldn't figure out a way to make it work!

[rkc3]

10. I have a flag lapel pin and wear it upside down all the time.

Occasionally someone points out that it's upside down and I say I know. I get some interesting reactions too.

[lse7581011]

11. Awesome Idea

I have a beautiful flag pin and again, I haven't worn it since last November. What a great idea-thanks!

[pie]

13. I'm going to try that.

[pie]

12. I think that is great

[MichiDem]

22. You're a ballsy fellow

how did your neigbors react?

[Tempest]

25. Several asked me to take it down

Others wanted to take it down themselves.

Once I explained that freedom extends to my right to show my displeasure with the administration, just like they were unhappy with Clinton, they left me alone.

[kliljedahl]

26. I buy the flag postage stamps

& put them upside down on all my mail.


Keith’s Barbeque Central

[Tempest]

30. I never buy them, they are a sign of disrespect

Sec. 8. — Respect for flag

h. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

i. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard.

http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html#5

[LynnTheDem]

15. This member of "I CASUALTIES DOT ORG" says bless your heart, Joey,

for caring about our lost children. You make the hours upon hours we spend tracking soldiers' deaths worth it; DON'T LET THEM BE FORGOTTEN.

:hug:

[ninkasi]

28. I salute you both

The bar owner is posting a reminder of the lives lost needlessly. You, Lynn, and the other members of your group, must pay a very great price for the work you do. Every death you record has to sear your very soul, yet you keep on, making sure that they are counted.

I have tried to imagine how difficult it must be, because each number represents a life that is no more. Every number that you count has loved ones who will always feel the pain of grief. You have my deepest respect. Those deaths did not have to be.

[LynnTheDem]

29. Thank you, ninkasi.

And yes it hurts bloodly badly. Worse, my husband is a soldier and was 18 mths in Iraq; he and I lost a lot of long-time friends.

My nephew is currently Iraqmired.

And we search for news stories on the lives of our fallen soldiers as well; reading about what they wre like growing up and about their families and ambitions and plans.

All the Iraqis dead. All the soldiers, ours and others', dead. All the wounded and crippled, all the lives destroyed.

For a pile of lies.

And now my 20-year career army officer American soldier hubby despises his own country(wo)men and his own country. As he puts it; "the answer to Moore's question ('will they ever trust us again?') is HELL. NO."

Thanks again, ninkasi; knowing someone else understands the pain helps ease the pain. :hug:

[Tyrone Slothrop]

17. A house down the street from mine

Has a big sign/toteboard in their front lawn reading:

"3 Years 267 Days since Sept. 11

Where is Osama?"

They update the number of days every day. It's a nice reminder.

[lse7581011]

18. Another Great Idea! n/t

[alcibiades_mystery]

35. Hey! I didn't know Tyrone Slothrop was a member here!

At least you're not still hanging out in that Peendemunde...;-)

[progressivebydesign]

24. A surprise for the other side. DU is 99% pro-troop.

I leave that 1% in there cuz we have had a few doozies posting, but are usually pounced on right away. Like the republicans said during Clinton's time, "you can be pro-troop while NOT supporting the president".

I think any attention to the needless deaths of our military is TOTALLY pro-troop. WE are the ones that tried to protest and stop this godforsaken war before it started. We are the ones that were RIGHT about faked intelligence and the WMD. Seems to me that the folks who have been fighting to keep this war from happening, and shedding light on the lies leading up to it, are the pro-troop people.

If the anti-war protests and calls for HONESTY had worked, then the tavern owner would NOT need that sign at all. The 1,600+ troops who died there would not have died there. How could that be anything but pro-troop? Since Saddam posed ZERO threat to America, and was an arch enemy of Bin Laden (remember him?), then the argument (that always comes up) that if we hadn't gone over there we'd have to fight Iraq here and have MORE casualties, is total bullshit.

I applaud the tavern owner. It is not political to honor the war dead. Perhaps people are waking up.

[Ian David]

40. Support the war- Comfort the lonely, sex-starved wives of the troops

Someone has to.


From the album "The Best of T.G. Sheppard"

It was July hot in Georgia in 1942 all the men were off to war
and the woman had nothing to do.
I was sixteen and hungry looking for my first taste of love,
When I brought the groceries to the door
I didn't know how close I was.
Her long blond hair was flowing
and she smelled like sweet perfume.
When I laid her groceries down she said you don't have to leave so soon.
A woman sure gets lonely when a men gone off to fight.
She reached up for my trembling hand as tear drops filled her eyes then she said.

Chorus:

War is hell on the home front too.
God only knows what a woman goes though.
She still needs what a man that's gone can't do.
I can't fight this fire alone
Stay with me until it's gone.
Ooh war is Hell on the Home front Too.

[RamboLiberal]

33. Keystone Pub Owner Daily Posts Iraq Casualty Count (Eastern PA)

Mods I hope I can get a pass on this headline since this appeared under generic "News in Brief from Eastern PA" headline.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14615179&BRD=2212&PAG=461&dept_id=465812&rfi=6

Since February, a four-digit number has replaced the usual beer specials and words of encouragement for sports teams on the Keystone Pub's Easton Avenue sign.

Pub owner Joey Jones said he let patrons keep guessing the meaning of the number in the early weeks he posted it: "Is that how many cheese steaks you sold? Is that how many this, how many that?"

Finally, as the number continued to grow, reaching 1,654 by Friday afternoon, the words "I CASUALTIES DOT ORG" went up below the number. The Web site, icasualties.org, is the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count.

<snip>

Jones, who opened the Keystone Pub five years ago in July, said he has foregone advertising daily specials to keep the troops' sacrifices from being forgotten in the daily grind of life.

[Miss Chybil]

34. And isn't it amazing nobody knew what the number was? Thanks, MSM.

And thanks to the lazy asses who have such opinions about our need to "save the world" and such little curiousity about the guys and gals who have been sent to do it.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TroglodyteScholar]

37. Or your number of posts here at DU (1)

:)

[THX1138]

38. Interesting choice of words

Anyway, on to a separate subject, who hates bad impressionists more than I do?

[Ignoramus]

41. 23790, not 1654

Don't forget America's victims

http://iraqbodycount.org
http://icasualties.org

Actually, if we're including the "coalition forces" agressors, we should also include the "combatants" and the "terrorists", but I think those numbers aren't known.