Help bring peace to a desperate world

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

Posted with permission from: http://candlelightvigils.blogspot.com/ (candlelight vigil #165)

If you'd like to understand the Iraq war a little better and the purpose of these vigils, picture Farrah, a hypothetical little 6 year old girl who lives in Baghdad with her father and mother and older sister.

This pint sized child stands as tall as your waist, has short black hair, dark brown eyes and is missing her two front baby teeth.

All her life the U.S. military has occupied her nation. And from all the devastation this has brought, jobs are scarce and her father struggles to find work to support the family.

Farrah has no school to attend because it's too dangerous to go. But most of the teachers have fled and for those who remain, there is a shortage of money for books and other school supplies.

In summer Baghdad swelters in 120 degree temperatures. But electricity for air conditioning or even for lights and television, like medical care, clean water, sewage treatment and garbage pickup is in short supply and Farrah will just have to bear it as best she can.

One day, Farrah's father was shopping for groceries and he found a pastry the whole family would love. It was Khubaz, a pita bread oozing with sweet cherry jelly. Ordinarily it would be too expensive for their tight budget but he wanted to do something special for them for it had been so long since they'd had a dessert like this.

But as he walked out of the market, a suicide bomber blew herself up killing 20 other people, including Farrah's father. As he lay lifeless on the street, he still clutched the bag filled with Khubaz.

Now picture Chelsea, a hypothetical little 6 year old American girl who lives with her father and mother and older sister. She looks strikingly like Farrah, including missing her two front baby teeth.

In the economic collapse, her father lost his job and struggled to support his family. Worse yet, his National Guard unit was called up and he was sent to Baghdad, a very scary place for anyone.

Several months later, Chelsea's father was on patrol, thankful he and the other soldiers had been safe and looking forward to returning home to his family. But suddenly, their Humvee hit a road side bomb so powerful, the explosion shredded the inside of the vehicle incinerating all of its passengers, including Chelsea's father.

For Farrah's and Chelsea's families, it was devastating. Each had lost a loved one who was their primary provider and no longer would there be a husband and father to love his family. Still aching inside and facing terrible economies, how can either mother make enough money to keep their home, feed their children and perhaps even keep their family together?

This is what real families in Iraq and America are suffering. Yesterday in Baghdad, 3 U.S. soldiers were blown up and several more were injured. Over the last two days a series of bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk killed over 70 people and injured numerous others.

But for most of America, life goes on as if this wasn't happening. The news media largely ignores the war and these devastated families are invisible, left to endure their losses alone.

So that these families won't be invisible and forgotten, the candlelight vigils are held. Last night, there were many horn honks and waves and people even called out their support. The 63 year old Haitian man who often joins the vigils was there as well.

But every day the Iraq war brings new victims and for what? What can possibly be accomplished? How does this make the world a better place? A safer place? A saner place?

Your voice is important and you can be so helpful if you'll speak from your heart to stop the war and all of its death and destruction. Or in your silence it will continue, unresponsive to the suffering of all the families that cry out to you. Either way, you play a crucial role.

If you rise to the occasion, you could serve a monumental role as you help to bring peace to a desperate world.

Dick

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Thank you, Dick, for this moving story.

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

1. This is what real families in Iraq and America are suffering.

When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?