Today we pause to remember and thank all of the men and women who laid down their lives in service to our country. Every young life cut short is a tragedy. Every body in a flag-draped casket is cause for mourning.
But the tragedy of a slain American service member must surely pale in comparison to the toll that our bottomless appetite for war has taken on the civilian populations of the nations in which we fight. How many dead noncombatants does it take to equal the life of one slain Marine? How many innocent children are killed and maimed from unexploded munitions left on the battlefield long after the soldiers are gone? How many babies will be born with leukemia and other incurable diseases caused by depleted uranium anti-tank rounds?
How can we, as people of conscience, simply accept the deaths of tens of thousands of innocents as "collateral damage" or "non-combatant casualties"?
So, anyway, happy Memorial Day, America. Enjoy your hot dogs and your beers and your used car supersales.
