Today is President’s Day in the USA. It is named that way to recognize two former presidents, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, who happened to have birthdays in February.

This month is also designated as African American History Month and on this blog I have been writing about some famous people who contributed to Black History.

It just occurred to me that it would be appropriate to write about President Barack Obama on President’s Day in African American History Month.

He is, after all, the first person of African descent to become a President of the USA. Yes, I know that there have been some rumors that there may have been former presidents who had African blood in their lineage but he is the first one who is openly acknowledged to being fathered by an African parent and his complexion leaves no confusion there.

Most of you know his story –

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, he graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

Barack Obama served in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid against a Democratic incumbent for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary and his keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004. His presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009.

He and his wife, Michelle, were married on October 3, 1992. Their first daughter, Malia Ann, was born on July 4, 1998, followed by a second daughter, Natasha ("Sasha"), on June 10, 2001.

*****

When the outcome of the U.S. election was announced I received an e-mail that showed the front page of the newspapers of every state in the Union. All of them were hopeful and jubilant. Included in that message were also the front pages of newspapers from around the entire world. They all expressed joy at the election of Barack Obama.

President Obama has a multicultural background and is also very intelligent. In the days following his inauguration some of his first actions were to reach out to the opposing political party and he also reached out to leaders of many countries, cultures and faiths around the world.

This did not go unnoticed and I believe that this interaction along with the many visits from world leaders and his visible presence and rapport in many countries are directly responsible for his receiving the honor of Nobel Peace Prize Recipient.

There are some moments in our lives where we have an "I was there" moment. A moment that despite your best attempts to explain how you felt you can't convey how remarkable an experience it was that you just shared. I had that moment personally, on Thursday, July 16th, 2009 along with many others when President Barack Obama was the guest speaker at the 100th anniversary convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in New York City.

I was there.

As he spoke that evening his remarks embodied an understanding that we've made progress but we have more mountains to climb. They also reminded us that we have to dream higher and obtain more, which he so beautifully stated by saying, "our children can't all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne. I want them aspiring to be scientists and engineers -- doctors and teachers -- not just ballers and rappers. I want them aspiring to be a Supreme Court Justice. I want them aspiring to be the President of the United States of America."

Many of us in attendance remembered moments that we had taken part in that included marching, protesting, sitting in and standing tall- that night we all shared in this once in a lifetime moment - we were listening to the first African-American president who was in the house, and also living in the White House.

We had the good fortune to be sitting in the front row and were just a few feet from the President as he gave his speech. So, for generations to come, we are able to tell our children and grandchildren that we were there.

We believe that unbelievable things can happen - we have witnessed it!

Happy President's Day to President Barack Obama and to those who went before him.

February 11, 2011 - Egypt - The people have spoken!

Cairo, Egypt – the people have spoken.

A woman in Tahrir Square reacts as it is announced that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was giving up power February 11, 2011 in Cairo, Egypt. After 18 days of widespread protests, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who has now left Cairo for his home in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik, announced that he would step down.

*****

A message from President Barack Obama related to today's events:

There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place. This is one of those moments. This is one of those times. The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard, and Egypt will never be the same.

By stepping down, President Mubarak responded to the Egyptian people’s hunger for change. But this is not the end of Egypt’s transition. It’s a beginning. I’m sure there will be difficult days ahead, and many questions remain unanswered. But I am confident that the people of Egypt can find the answers, and do so peacefully, constructively, and in the spirit of unity that has defined these last few weeks. For Egyptians have made it clear that nothing less than genuine democracy will carry the day.

The military has served patriotically and responsibly as a caretaker to the state, and will now have to ensure a transition that is credible in the eyes of the Egyptian people. That means protecting the rights of Egypt’s citizens, lifting the emergency law, revising the constitution and other laws to make this change irreversible, and laying out a clear path to elections that are fair and free. Above all, this transition must bring all of Egypt’s voices to the table. For the spirit of peaceful protest and perseverance that the Egyptian people have shown can serve as a powerful wind at the back of this change.

The United States will continue to be a friend and partner to Egypt. We stand ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary -- and asked for -- to pursue a credible transition to a democracy. I’m also confident that the same ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit that the young people of Egypt have shown in recent days can be harnessed to create new opportunity -- jobs and businesses that allow the extraordinary potential of this generation to take flight. And I know that a democratic Egypt can advance its role of responsible leadership not only in the region but around the world.

Egypt has played a pivotal role in human history for over 6,000 years. But over the last few weeks, the wheel of history turned at a blinding pace as the Egyptian people demanded their universal rights.

We saw mothers and fathers carrying their children on their shoulders to show them what true freedom might look like.

We saw a young Egyptian say, “For the first time in my life, I really count. My voice is heard. Even though I’m only one person, this is the way real democracy works.”

We saw protesters chant “Selmiyya, selmiyya” -- “We are peaceful” -- again and again.

We saw a military that would not fire bullets at the people they were sworn to protect.

And we saw doctors and nurses rushing into the streets to care for those who were wounded, volunteers checking protesters to ensure that they were unarmed.

We saw people of faith praying together and chanting – “Muslims, Christians, We are one.” And though we know that the strains between faiths still divide too many in this world and no single event will close that chasm immediately, these scenes remind us that we need not be defined by our differences. We can be defined by the common humanity that we share.

And above all, we saw a new generation emerge -- a generation that uses their own creativity and talent and technology to call for a government that represented their hopes and not their fears; a government that is responsive to their boundless aspirations. One Egyptian put it simply: Most people have discovered in the last few days…that they are worth something, and this cannot be taken away from them anymore, ever.

This is the power of human dignity, and it can never be denied. Egyptians have inspired us, and they’ve done so by putting the lie to the idea that justice is best gained through violence. For in Egypt, it was the moral force of nonviolence -- not terrorism, not mindless killing -- but nonviolence, moral force that bent the arc of history toward justice once more.

And while the sights and sounds that we heard were entirely Egyptian, we can’t help but hear the echoes of history -- echoes from Germans tearing down a wall, Indonesian students taking to the streets, Gandhi leading his people down the path of justice.

As Martin Luther King said in celebrating the birth of a new nation in Ghana while trying to perfect his own, “There is something in the soul that cries out for freedom.” Those were the cries that came from Tahrir Square, and the entire world has taken note.

Today belongs to the people of Egypt, and the American people are moved by these scenes in Cairo and across Egypt because of who we are as a people and the kind of world that we want our children to grow up in.

The word Tahrir means liberation. It is a word that speaks to that something in our souls that cries out for freedom. And forevermore it will remind us of the Egyptian people -- of what they did, of the things that they stood for, and how they changed their country, and in doing so changed the world.

President Barack Obama

*****

The people are chanting - This is our day - this is our country!

Wonderful smiles on every face.

The people have spoken!

Egypt’s history has changed forever.

Sunday Reflection - Out of the Ashes Comes Hope

Early on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 A fire destroyed the predominately African-American Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Springfield, MA

The $2.5 million church was under construction - the church was razed by arsonists hours after President Barack Obama was elected the nation’s first black leader on Nov. 4, 2008

Fire Photos by Dennis Leger

33 volunteers from a church and a synagogue in California traveled to Springfield last week at their own expense to help the regular construction crew rebuild.

“It’s bittersweet. We wish we were doing it just to help build and not to rebuild,” said a member of the Arson Rebuild Work Team of Santa Barbara. The California group is the third team of volunteers that has come to the city this month, including one other from the West Coast and another from Chicago.

Volunteers from religious groups in California re-build Springfield church destroyed by fire.

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The Republican

Photo by Mark M. Murray / The Republican

Judi Koper and her daughter Hannah, both with Temple B'Nai B'rith of Santa Barbara Calif, volunteered Thursday to help rebuild. They have traveled throughout the deep South, helping to rebuild churches torched in the name of racism.

“This is our first venture up North,” she said, wiping sweat from her brow after hours of frame work at the nearly completed church.

The church was burned to the ground in a spectacular blaze set by three city men who lived nearby, according to federal and state investigators who probed the fire. Two defendants – 23 and 22 -have pleaded guilty to arson in federal court and are awaiting sentencing. A third defendant, 25, is poised for trial in the fall.

The men admitted harboring a hatred for blacks and Hispanics, and that they set fire to the church to denounce Obama’s election. They told investigators they crept through the woods in the middle of the night, climbed through a window and doused the church with gasoline, then set it ablaze.

A volunteer from the Congregation B’nai B’rith, also in Santa Barbara, said the effort is as much about the message as the bricks and mortar.

“We’re here trying to right what three hateful people did,” she said. “To show people that we will not allow injustice and hate to stand.”

For Bishop Bryant Robinson Jr., leader of the predominantly black Macedonia church, it seems that from the ashes has come a small miracle of human spirit.

*****

Lamentations 3:21 - 24

Hope returns when I remember this one thing: the Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have , and so in him I put my hope.

*****

With so many senseless acts of violence and hatred happening in the world every day I choose to concentrate on the love demonstrated by those who continue to reach out to others, as in the words of the volunteer - “To show people that we will not allow injustice and hate to stand.”

peacesojourner

based on an article in the Springfield Republican Newspaper

Elena Kagan Joins Supreme Court - “That’s really progress.”

Elena Kagan Joins Supreme Court After 63-37 Vote in Senate

WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to a seat on the Supreme Court. Ms. Kagan, who will be sworn in Saturday as the newest member of the court, was approved by a vote of 63 to 37.

President Obama said he expected that Ms. Kagan would be a strong addition to the court because she “understands that the law isn’t just an abstraction or an intellectual exercise.” “She knows that the Supreme Court’s decisions shape not just the character of our democracy, but the circumstances of our daily lives,” the president said.

Ms. Kagan, the former dean of the Harvard Law School, a legal adviser in the Clinton administration and solicitor general in the Obama White House, becomes the fourth woman to serve on the court. She will join two other women currently serving, including Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg . She succeeds Justice John Paul Stevens , the leader of the court’s liberal bloc, who is retiring. Democrats described the new justice as a brilliant legal scholar who would broaden the outlook of the court.

“When it opens this fall, three women — a full third of the bench — will preside together for the first time,” Senator Harry Reid, the Nevada Democrat and majority leader, said. “That’s really progress.”

Congratulations!

Walk for Nuclear Free Future to U.N., NYC

Walking for a Nuclear Free World

Last month four different organized walks converged and crossed over the George Washington Bridge in New York City. People came from many regions of this country and as far away as Japan and Australia to convey the message to the United Nations “Now is the time to eliminate all nuclear weapons forever.”

Several of the walkers have close links with an organization started by Hiroshima’s mayor, Mayors for Peace<www.mayorsforpeace.org>, building opposition to nuclear weapons at the crucial local level of government.

The Northern Route, wound through upstate New York and then down the Hudson River Valley, where it touched deep history that precedes (and explains) our nuclear dilemma. Walkers in New York State passed through the Onondaga and Oneida Nations, learning of nuclear dumping in this region and of the powerful peace testimony of the Iroquois confederacy.

The New England Route traveled through Vermont and coastal Maine, Boston, Rhode Island and Connecticut. My friends, the monks and nuns of the Peace Pagoda in Leverett MA initiated this walk. I was able to spend some time with them in Springfield, MA where they stopped for a while to hear Archbishop Desmond Tutu speak at a local college, before they continued their journey to NY.

The Southern Route walkers started Oakridge TN, where uranium for the WWII bombs was enriched. They traveled through winter storms across mountains that are now being dismantled for coal. They walked to Pennsylvania and approached Three Mile Island where they looked closely at the devastation wreaked by both coal and nuclear power sources.

The D.C. Region Walk started on April 8 and was organized by Proposition 1 and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. They traveled 100 miles from the nation’s capital.

On May 1 all four groups arrived at the George Washington Bridge and walked to the UN building together.

As the United Nations began its review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the walkers united their voices in unison. “Now is the time - to eliminate all nuclear weapons forever. Let the nations agree on a verifiable timetable for global nuclear abolition.

Now is the time - to begin making our communities, our country and the world a safer, healthier, sustainable place for all.”

After the march to the U.N., monks, nuns and supporters fasted for four days and chanted across the street from the UN as the NPT meetings progressed and activists also entered the UN to give the testimonies gathered during the walks.

There was very little written in the media about this spiritual walk made by thousands of people.

More than 23,000 nuclear weapons still exist in our violent world and more nuclear power plants are in the works for the first time since Three Mile Island. We have an opportunity to make a difference.

Go to http://www.2020visioncampaign.org for an update on what happened at the United Nations.

*****

This is a very serious situation - have you contacted President Obama or your government leaders to speak up against nuclear weapons and destruction to the earth that the storage of nuclear materials has contributed? If not, please consider doing so today!

peacesojourner

Buffalo Welcomes President Obama - May 13, 2010

President Barack Obama visited Buffalo, NY this past week , on his

"White House to Main Street Tour" which started in December. He has visited Allentown, Pa., Charlotte, N.C., Savannah, Ga., and Quincy, Ill. He will travel to Youngstown, Ohio next.

For most of us it was our first glimpse of Air Force One and it is certainly impressive

His arrival was at 12:25 p.m. and departure at 3:20 p.m.

He would only be here for three hours and the entire community was abuzz about where he would appear and what he would do while he was here.

While at the airport the president met with the families of the victims of Flight 3407 - the plane that crashed in Buffalo last year. They appealed to him to support the stricter aviation regulation laws regarding the training of pilots and other suggestions for making air travel safer for all. The families later reported that he stated he will support them on this.

It rained the entire time that he was here but Buffalonians were not daunted by this.

Many stood in the rain for the entire visit, hoping to catch a glimpse of him as his vehicle passed them along the highways.

There were staunch supporters in the crowd - many holding 'thank you' signs

And others who wished to let President Obama know that they are against the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the new policies in Arizona which are viewed as singling out immigrants. The signs urged President Obama to support immigration reform.

(photos by Leslie Church - WBFO)

*****

While here the President met in private with the Families of Flight 3407. He was then whisked away to have a fast lunch at a local Buffalo wings restaurant where the locals were happily surprised when he arrived and were able to talk to him and wish him well.

His final stop was at a small local business, President Obama spoke with workers at Industrial Support, Inc., a manufacturing company.

The President has said he believes the success of small businesses will be vital to the nation's economic recovery. Last week, he sent Congress a proposal to create a $30 billion support program to unfreeze credit for small businesses.

President Obama said he has asked the Small Business Administration to become more proactive in helping small business owners, or those who want to start small businesses, get the training they need to be competitive.

Help for small businesses would be especially welcome in cities like Buffalo, where large corporations have downsized and manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas. Western New York has suffered for a long time from a lack of job growth and population losses.

Buffalo's Industrial Support, Inc. added workers last fall after receiving a loan offered to small businesses through the President's $862 billion stimulus plan. That type of success, President Obama said, makes him "want to double-down and work harder."

Kudos to the police from Buffalo and surrounding counties who were assigned to road closures, crowd control and to protect the President while he was here in town.

President Obama was here for only three hours, which gave us a glimpse of his very busy schedule. Everyone that I heard talk about it was enthusiastic about the visit. Whether one agrees with everything he says or not - the President of the United States was given a very warm welcome during his brief stay in Buffalo, and for that I am very glad.

peacesojourner

Haiti Update............

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

The United Nations said Saturday the government had confirmed 111,481 bodies; all told, authorities have estimated 200,000 dead from the magnitude-7.0 quake, according to Haitian government figures.

The streets of Haiti are covered in rubble. Trucks carry the dead bodies of victims to excavated mass graves outside the city. 40,000 bodies are said to have been buried and thousands more are still believed buried in the rubble and yet to be uncovered.

About 609,000 people are homeless in the capital's metro area, and the United Nations estimates that up to 1 million could leave Haiti's destroyed cities for rural areas already struggling with extreme poverty.

MEANWHILE.........

Christian televangelist and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson stirred controversy by making insensitive remarks the day after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12.

“Something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French … and they got together and swore a pact to the devil,” Robertson said on “The 700 Club,” his daily broadcast on ABC Family.

Pat Robertson, is a household name to Americans. Even worse, he is influential and respected by millions. According to the book of Robertson, the reason for every disaster is sin, and the solution usually involves sending him money.

A lot of people have taken Pat Robertson to task for his cruel remarks concerning the earthquake in Haiti.

Here's an alternative view Pat, the "fault" lies under the Atlantic Ocean, not in the sins of Haitians. The earth's tectonic plates are neither good nor evil. The more we learn about their shifting, the better we will be able to predict future earthquakes.

This reckless insensitivity and baseless superstition should keep Robertson off mainstream television. His show should be boycotted and removed from ABC Family, and he should not be invited as a guest contributor on talk shows.

Haitians did not die because of some imagined pact. Despite this evidence, Robertson has offered his erroneous explanation to exploit this disaster and push religion.

Robertson’s fans should take all his comments — stupid or not — as a testament to his character and evaluate whether they want to be associated with him. In the realm of American broadcasting, Robertson is irrelevant. Balance is necessary in the national discourse, but there is no counterweight to his madness.

AND.............

The radioman Rush Limbaugh made harsh and racial comments about the affected people of Haiti earthquake. He went on-air to criticize American President Barack Obama for his quick response to the disastrous tragedy. According to insensitive Limbaugh the disaster enables Obama to show his compassionate credentials and for being too fast in approving aid for Haiti. He gives unwanted suggestions to people that they shouldn’t waste their money making donations to White House.

Limbaugh said, “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax.”

*****

It never ceases to amaze me there are always people that say really cruel, insensitive, insidious things. How can those who have enjoyed the success and financial rewards of these two men not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti? To use the power of their TV/radio pulpits to try to convince others not to help their brothers and sisters is sickening to me. How about you?

Please consider joining me and others in protesting and asking for their removal from the airwaves.

MEANWHILE..............

Thanks to all of the millions worldwide who have responded with compassion and kindness to the Haitian people. You restore our faith in human nature.

To those who do care the following may be of interest to you.

State Department Hotline For Info On Missing Relatives in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747

Make donations through The American Red Cross International Response Fund and the Presbyterian Disaster Relief fund.

I mention these two groups because I have personally worked with them both during disaster relief efforts and I believe them to be honest and ethically sound.

May God be with the people of Haiti during these disastrous times.

peacesojourner

Total of U.S Troops Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars – 5,324

Puppy Love - by Kevin Frayer / AP

United States Marine Cpl. Benjamin Zellmann, of Virginia, holds a puppy taken in by the company during a briefing before a mission in Khan Neshin, in the volatile Helmand province of southern Afghanistan.

President Obama recently remarked that the number of Americans killed in Afghanistan was a “sobering reminder” of the burdens of war.

As I look at this recent photo of young marines who are stationed in Afghanistan I also find it to be a 'sobering reminder' that as we sit in our comfortable living rooms these young men and thousands more like them are stationed a long way from home. My wish is that they will be returned home soon.

This photo is also a sobering reminder.

Buffalo News

The young soldier in this photo is from the Buffalo, NY area. As you can see he was enjoying the company of the young children in Afghanistan and I am sure that he was, in some ways, a positive role model for them. He recently was in the local news here when he returned home to his parent’s residence where he will be living for a long time. Several months ago he suffered serious head injuries while in Afghanistan, which resulted in months of surgeries, hospitalization and permanent brain damage. He is a shadow of his former self. Another 'sobering reminder' of the men and women who have been placed in harm’s way in a far away war.

I have had this photo on my computer screen for some time now. I do not know his name or who took the photo but I do know that I think of him each time I turn on my computer and I wish him well. Yet another 'Sobering Reminder' of the outcome of war.

These photos happen to be of men but I am also aware of the women who are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan as well. I am very proud of all of them.

*****

Here are the most recent statistics of U.S. military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade.

Total of U.S Troops Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars – 5,324

The Human Cost of Occupation

United States Military Casualties in Iraq

Since war began (3/19/03): 4373

Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 145

American Wounded Official Estimated

Total U.S.Wounded: 31,613 Over 100000

Latest Fatality Jan 6 2010

Daily DoD Casualty Release

320,000 Vets Have Brain Injuries

War Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked

How Many Service members Were Wounded?

18 Vet Suicides Per Day?

Iraqi Casualties – 1,339,771

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq 325

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan 951

Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan 624

Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq 1,395

Journalists - Iraq 335

Academics Killed - Iraq 431

Sources: DoD, MNF, and iCasualties.org

All data was compiled from http://www.defenselink.mil.

*****

Take a look at these up to date statistics and if you find them ‘sobering’

Call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500


Phone Numbers: Comments: 202-456-1111


Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

MAKE THAT PHONECALL – please!

Total # of U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq and Afghanistan Wars – 5,305

Total # of U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq and

Afghanistan Wars – 5,305

Well it has happened. Recently President Obama announced plans to deploy 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan. This is extremely troubling but it is consistent with the statements that he made during the presidential campaign when he said that he would increase war efforts in Afghanistan.

In a new USA Today/Gallup Poll, only 36% said the decision to send 30,000 troops was right, and 73% worried that the costs of the war will make it more difficult to deal with problems at home. A national poll of young adults by the Harvard Institute of Politics found that 66% oppose sending more troops to Afghanistan.

There are protest rallies and campaigns taking place around the country and around the world. Most of those who are taking part are the seasoned Anti-War protesters who have been speaking out against war for many years.

My question is this: “Where are the 73% of citizens who are concerned about the cost of the war? Are they willing to make a stand that will take them off their sofas and into the streets? At the very least are they willing to write a letter or make a telephone call to their member of Congress?”

Continuing the war in Afghanistan and increasing the troops will not protect us. Instead, it will take the lives of more U.S. military personnel and will kill and injure countless Afghani civilians. The surge will cost $30 billion additional dollars, in a war that has already cost taxpayers over $228 billion. This country is experiencing the worst economic conditions since the Great Depression. The budget destined for an increased military program will take resources that should be used for healthcare, education, and jobs.

If you are concerned about these statistics please call your member of Congress at 202-224-3121 with a simple, clear message to let them know your opinion.

Take a look at these up to date statistics and if you find them upsetting –

MAKE THAT PHONE CALL – please!

*****

Total # of U.S. Casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan 5,305

American Military Casualties in Iraq

Since war began (3/19/03): 4371

Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 124

American Wounded Official Estimated

Total U.S.Wounded: 31,582 Over 100,000

Latest Fatality Dec 12, 2009

Daily DoD Casualty Release

320,000 Vets Have Brain Injuries

18 Vet Suicides Per Day?

Iraqi Casualties – 1,339,771

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq 325

US Military Deaths - Afghanistan 934

Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan 604

Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq 1,395

Journalists - Iraq 335

Academics Killed - Iraq 431

Sources: DoD, MNF, and iCasualties.org

If you stand for nothing - you will fall for anything

Speak out loudly - today!