this diary is dedicated to all who suffer because of war and other disasters
cross-posted at DailyKos, Booman Tribune, European Tribune, and My Left Wing.
this is a retrospective of the first 299 diary posts in the series at dKos. images for days 101-150 and selected poems below the fold.
Days 1-50 here.
Days 51-100 here.
Note – Several images depict graphic scenes of death and mutilation.
Day 101
Day 102
Day 103
Day 104
Day 105
Day 106
Day 107
Day 108
Day 109
Day 110
Day 111
Day 112
Day 113
Day 114
Day 115
Day 116
Day 117
Day 118
Day 119
Day 120
Day 121
Day 122
Day 123
Day 124
Day 125
Day 126
Day 127
Day 128
Day 129
Day 130
Day 131
Day 132
Day 133
Day 134
Day 135
Day 136
Day 137
Day 138
Day 139
Day 140
Day 141
Day 142
Day 143
Day 144
Day 145
Day 146
Day 147
Day 148
Day 149
Day 150
From Day 104
from The Marriage of Figaro
by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte
Act Two, Scene OnePorgi, amor, qualche ristoro
Al mio duolo, a’ miei sospiri;
O mi rendi il mio tesoro,
O mi lascia almen morir.O love, bring some relief
To my sorrows, to my sighs;
O give me back my loved one
Or in mercy let me die.
From Day 128
White Ashes
from Rennyo’s Letters
translated by Hisao Inagaki et alWhen I deeply contemplate the transient nature of human life, I realize that, from beginning to end, life is impermanent like an illusion. We have not yet heard of anyone who lived ten thousand years. How fleeting is a lifetime!
Who in this world today can maintain a human form for even a hundred years? There is no knowing whether I will die first or others, whether death will occur today or tomorrow. We depart one after another more quickly than the dewdrops on the roots or the tips of the blades of grasses. So it is said. Hence, we may have radiant faces in the morning, but by evening we may turn into white ashes. Once the winds of impermanence have blown, our eyes are instantly closed and our breath stops forever. Then, our radiant face changes its color, and the attractive countenance like peach and plum blossoms is lost. Family and relatives will gather and grieve, but all to no avail?
Since there is nothing else that can be done, they carry the deceased out to the fields, and then what is left after the body has been cremated and has turned into the midnight smoke is just white ashes. Words fail to describe the sadness of it all.
Thus the ephemeral nature of human existence is such that death comes to young and old alike without discrimination. So we should all quickly take to heart the matter of the greatest importance of the afterlife, entrust ourselves deeply to Amida Buddha, and recite the nembutsu. Humbly and respectfully.
From Day 140
The Diameter of the Bomb
by Yehuda AmichaiThe diameter of the bomb was thirty centimeters
and the diameter of its effective range about seven meters,
with four dead and eleven wounded.
And around these, in a larger circle
of pain and time, two hospitals are scattered
and one graveyard. But the young woman
who was buried in the city she came from,
at a distance of more than a hundred kilometers,
enlarges the circle considerably,
and the solitary man mourning her death
at the distant shores of a country far across the sea
includes the entire world in the circle.
And I won’t even mention the crying of orphans
that reaches up to the throne of God and
beyond, making
a circle with no end and no God.
From Day 143
Pentagon Ban on Filming Coffins Defied
Agence France-Presse, Thursday 13 January 2005, 10:08A US National Guard unit has defied a Pentagon request that sought to stop television news crews filming six flag-draped soldiers’ coffins arriving in Louisiana.
The Pentagon has barred US media from filming the coffins of US service members arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.But the Louisiana National Guard allowed a CBS news crew on Wednesday to film the arrival of six soldiers’ coffins at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, near New Orleans, Louisiana.
Despite the Pentagon request, Lieutenant-Colonel Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard told CBS: “What we thought was, we’re going to do what the family asked us to do.”
– – –
view the pbs newshour silent honor roll (with thanks to jimstaro at booman.)
take a private moment to light one candle among many (with thanks to TXSharon)
support veterans for peace
support the Iraqi people
support the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC)
support CARE
support the victims of torture
remember the fallen
support Gold Star Families for Peace
support the fallen
support the troops
support the troops and the Iraqi people
read This is what John Kerry did today, the diary by lawnorder that prompted this series
read Riverbend’s Bagdhad Burning
read Dahr Jamail’s Iraq Dispatches
read Today in Iraq
witness every day
Click on the candle to copy the image into your own comment (you can leave it on my server), and/or rate this one – not for mojo, but to leave a small mark after taking this moment.
Peace
You know, it’s so hard to see the photos of mothers, fathers, family members holding-consoling-comforting-caressing their injured or dead loved ones.
It’s another plane altogether to see those bodies lying alone, like so much garbage.
That saddens me the most – that what makes us ‘alive’ or human – our spirit or whatever – could mean nothing in the end.
I’ve never really thought much about how I’d want my physical body to be treated if I died. I mean, never considered anything other than respect. My life experiences to-date have of course led me to that expectation.
That has changed now that I’ve thought about those pictured above; thought about what has been done to the bodies – the stories we’ve heard – over the course of this war. I think about it – and them – a lot.
I’d want my body to be held and consoled and loved and cried over.
I wouldn’t want my body to be lying – broken – or in pieces on the ground. Alone. To be gathered up like any other rubble I was lying amid. Or to be captured in photos and spread around the internet with vulgar jokes attached.
Just some thoughts I had this morning as I went through the diary. It’s hard to feel good about humanity when you see things like this.
Olivia, this is one of my major concerns in my career. That no one dies alone. This is such a sad thing to comprehend. I totally agree with you on this statement you have made. Life surely has got to mean something to somebody out there, on both sides of this war. Something has really gone astray when life is not taken to task for being alive an dwoth something other than its grave when demise is with them. I so want this war to stop! It has put a burden on my soul that was simply not necessary.
Thank you for caring. It means everything to know that there are – there really are – many good, decent, caring humans in the world. I worked briefly in palliative care, so I think my empathy-metre is a little over-sensitive when it come to these issues.
“so I think my empathy-metre is a little over-sensitive when it come to these issues.”
Never such a thing, Olivia…..To cae about another human being is not a bad thing….it show our humanity. I have stayed with many a patients who had no one to be with them during the dying proceess. Just to touch them when I knew they could not talk. Just to whisper in their ear, I was there for them. Just to let them know, I cared about them, no matter why they were dying or who they were. I think God expects this of ourselves to be like this to anyone. Anyhow, this is how I feel about it. HUHS
(((((((((Brenda)))))))))
Whoever disenchants
A single Human soul
By failure of irreverence
Is guilty of the whole
~Dickinson
Light A Candle For
Peace, Tolerance, Understanding
and For Innocence Lost!
As Alec Baldwin puts it So Well in his Post, over at Huffington:
Wars, Conflicts, Destruction, Blood Profiteering as long as there are those, as he lists, and others like them in This World! They Must be Recognized Long Before they are able to bring their Wrath on Others!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rub, I tossed and turned all night. An alleged Marine came into a hockey chat and called us “Liberal Pussies”… he said he was offended by my signature
which reads:
“Tell me again how our torture chambers are better than their torture chambers.” Tell Me Again, George
Please visit: The Whispering Campaign My heart belongs to: CodePink” all with working links.
I engaged a bit, but told him no one was trashing the military. He kept saying he supported Bush and the troops and that I was offensive… So today I posted my feelings and your diary links. I realized while writing my post a few things about myself and why I continue to read and support your work.
The commands may not work here… but this is what I sent out —
Since the “war” began, a friend in Boston has been “witnessing” the daily carnage and sorrow of the Iraqi people as well as our troops and their loved ones.
I wish with all my heart that those who blindly support a President and Administration that manipulated intelligence for this occupation and who support Cheney’s and Rove justifying the need for torture and American gulags – would support witnessing and remembering those who are living this war every day.
Or if you, like me and others, want to light a candle every day for the losses. The photos drive me to continue to seek an investigation, to continue to seek truth and justice. It makes me ask, “what are we doing and accomplishing?”. It makes me wonder if the global community will ever forgive us for the carnage, if indeed it was all based on lies and greed.
Caution as it shows reality, the death, the wounds, the children and our troops. [B] It shows war[/B].
The below links are a compilation of the first 150 days.
Iraq War Grief Daily Witness*
URL=Day 1 – 50[/URL]
URL=Day 51-100[/URL]
URL=Day 101 – 150 [/URL]
DJ, do you think the pictures will make them stop to think? I just wonder……..
Brenda, I don’t think it will. Society has for so long ignored the war. It’s not on the news, it’s all on the back burner as we “go about our lives”.
To so many, this war is “off topic”. They don’t want to hear, see or feel it. They just want to “support” it.
They make me sick. They should have these photos on every news, every magazine and newspaper.
what are the masses afraid of? Why won’t they behold what they support? Because they have no humanity.
I worry for my country due to just this: They can’t be bothered with facts. They can’t be bothered with reality. They can’t be bothered with “politics”. I worry that this apathy will be our death. The global community hates our government, but they must soon start to hate us… for our lack of “attention span” or ability to stand up and be accountable for what we bring to the planet.
Today a child will DIE. Today a child will undgergo treatment for burns from OUR NAPALM-lite bombs. Today our soldiers are in a free-fire zone. Shooting at anything because they have no agenda and no leadership.
Today… Americans will fail to witness.
Again, I will look at the photos and remarks of others who refuse to “just go about their business”.
Thank you so much Rub! This isn’t a photo diary – this is a daily reminder that we MUST hold on to our humanity.
They like them, they serve as evidence that their money is being spent as they desire.
The victims are not seen as human, the atrocities are not recognized as such.
Some websites even charge to see the pictures. The crusaders trade them for free access to “porn” on the same sites. One of these sites was “outed” recently, in fact.
They are also shared on email lists, in yahoo groups, and applauded, displayed proudly to their supporters.
I know DuctTape, sadly I know.
My husband said that as a teen he saw every night on the news pictures from VietNam.
Our men and women are brought back in secrecy… the deaths of so many – hid away.
I wouldn’t rely on the news or Bush Supporters to change their mind… what I would hope is that someone undecided too worried about how they bills will be paid – will pause and start to wonder, start to THINK… start to March.
These are truly all our children… the Iraqi babies as well as those troops.
As to the photo sites, I remember seeing one called undermars or something similar… made me SICK. The captions by some of our military… if the Taliban had those photos of OUR children and wives… there would be a tidal wave of hate and demand to nuke them all… But when “we” do it – it’s letting off some steam. :*(
Bush is liberating so many from Humanity.
You know Janet, you do have a point. I still think that the republican and its base do have men and women over there and they too are dying. I just really wonder how lonely their lives will be now without their loved ones and when will they soon find out they were lied to to loose this precious one of theirs. I feel that when they do recognize this, it will not be a pretty picture for their party or the ones who have lied. The common ordinary republican ppl are ppl like all the rest of us in America. It will touch their lives sooner or later and when it does,…………..
Just so sad!!!!!!!!!
Cindy Sheehan has commented on that a few times. That those military families who “oppose” her – they have more in commom than not. That they must cling to the belief that their loved one died for a reason. They have to mentally drug themselves otherwise reality would just be too much and the loss would be overwhelming.
Sadly I think that IF my nephew dies overseas, that somehow how the Bush Supporters in my family will focus their hate and grief at me. Already they say that Liberals are traitors and support Bin Laden. Already they say that I do not support the troops – I’m sure that in their grief they will find a way to hate and blame me and other Liberals/Democrats.
It’s the only way they can see themselves through the daily pain. They can’t blame Bush or themselves. That would make their loss even more of a waste.
Yes, you are right there, with their displaced agression. I sure hope your nephew is ok and remains ok thru-out.
I feel ppl like which you describe, are lying to themselves. I feel they know it too. I feel that if they surcome to the reality of this war, they would go nuts in a handbasket quickly. I do think some of the decline in the polls are just that. They too are beginning to awaken to the fact that they were also lied to and that their youn, husband, wife, etc are in harms way unnecessiarly. This is just my honest opinion tho. I have no facts to back it up except the fact of that of humanity on a whole. Wen ppl let politics get in the way of their humanity, they are a lost soul forever and nothing will ever matter to them other than politics.
Light A Candle For
Peace, Tolerance, Understanding
and For Innocence Lost!
…Barbra Streisand
Posted on October 26, 2005
If there was ever a time in history to impeach a President of the United States, it would be now. In my opinion, it is two years too late. We should have done this before the election to spare the country the misjudgment, the incompetence and the malfeasance of this administration. Let us remember that UN weapons inspectors asked for more time to search Iraq for WMDs. Two months into their search, the Director General of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, stated that he found no evidence that Iraq had revived its nuclear weapons program since its elimination in the 1990s. And Saddam Hussein had begun to comply with the administration’s demands. Why would you invade a country if there was still a chance for peace? Shouldn’t war be an absolute last resort? We went to war because we were misled. And we should be angry because of the 2,000 American soldiers and the 200 armed coalition forces that have died. We should be livid because of the 15,000 American soldiers that have been horribly maimed and wounded. We should be disgusted because of the 30,000 innocent Iraqi civilians that have been killed and the 20,000 that are wounded after administration officials claimed that the US was going to liberate the Iraqi people.
SNIP
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Rub, just thank you today. hugs
The pain radiating from these pictures into our brains must be part of our defense. Unless we look and hurt, we are no better defended than someone crawling naked on broken glass while numbed with lidocaine.
macdust, I have watched Rub’s diary grow with interest as the days went on. I think it is finally hitting the brain cells of all what is happening in this god forsaken war! I remember the days when I wold review his diary and just live a simple lone comment. NOw look at the attention he has gotten to this travesty. He has really brought it on to us what it really is all about!
http://www.jsoucy.org/iraq/images/candle_flame_1.gif
I see my own children in those pictures…how can others be so blind the pain?
…that someday it will be no more than a distant memory.
.
It started as a comment to Patrick Lang’s diary —
Norman J. Pattiz – Chairman BBG Middle East Committee
A view on Hariri killing —
Hariri Assassination By Suicide Truck Bomb ¶ Mitsubishi Stolen in Japan
BURNING CANDLES
“Treason doth never prosper: what’s the reason?
For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Do you all want to hear a story I have to tell?
It is a true story.
Today I copied this diary and forwarded it to a moderate republican friend, or so I thought he was a friend. Asking when will this ever stop? to my subject line. He wrote back with a simple line saying “nuke them”. Needless to say, my heart is simply broken with his lack of feeling for humanity. I think my friendship has now come to an end.
the following was my response to him.
xxx,
I have tried to always be honest with you with my feelings. NOt to respond to the “nuke them” comment would be hypocrisy, on my point.
When I emailed you those pictures, I wanted you to see the end result of what this administration has done not only to us but to them…the innocent Iraqis. I, for the life of me, can not imagine, you above all ppl, not seeing this. Anyhow, I am sorry for that email now. I feel deluded about many things.
We all were lied to by the bush government and now we are paying a very dear price for this pack of lies. I feel ashamed that I did not demonstrate when the need was there to call attention to this pack of lies. We all knew better….but we sat silent.
some unsolicited advice, not only to you, but to any American who may find themselves in the awkward position of opposing their alleged government, in the current situation, it would be more prudent to limit communications with loyalists to the subjects of weather, flowers and dogs, if the loyalist is someone you know, or even more importantly, someone who knows you, in “real life.”
I know it is difficult to accept, but the fact is that the US is now a place where anyone can be seized and disappeared, either “rendered” to an “interrogation facility” or exterminated, without benefit of the due process that many Americans feel should be applicable even to those opposed to US policies, or as Mr. Danger repeated after his earpiece, “with the terrorists.”
my OWN grandma… said that I should be shot in the head in public since I’m a traitor because I protested against Bush in DC. That by my actions, I am showing support to the “terrorists” and said that I do not support the troops.
My own grandma.
I guess she forgot my husband was in the Navy’s 3rd Platoon.
I know today I will get more flack by posting Rub’s urls for all to see… but all that really matters is that me and my children are dialoguing and trying to stop this bloodshed based on lies.
unshot heads march significantly more miles and make a dramatically larger number of protest signs than their less fortunate and headless comrades 😉
At this time of year, you could suggest to grandma that pansies and chrysanthemums are hardy, and might be just the thing for her window boxes.
Janet, that is absolutely heartbreaking. I am continually amazed and impressed by all the Americans on this site who keep up their principled opposition to this war and to their corrupt leadership, even in the face of hostility and contempt from their friends and families.
Please accept some loving thoughts of strength and support, and thanks for continuing to to witness, and to resist.
Ask her who stood up against the Nazis in Europe during WWII? Those who resisted in Germany? Were there any? Those who resisted in France? And what does she think about those people?
Do it slightly more artfully. Don’t do it just after a comment about this war!
See where it takes you.
How can anyone look at these photos, and not feel pierced by our common humanity?
May all those in denial have the scales lifted from their eyes. May they see, and weep, and realize how they have been used and lied to, and become part of the turning tide, toward peace.