Friday marks 66th month of war in Iraq

To the editor:
On Sept. 19 we will mark five and a half years of the war in Iraq. It’s been a terrible five and a half years for Iraq; it has not been a good time for the U.S. either.
So far 4,155 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq and over 30,000 have been wounded. This does not count the psychological damage already becoming apparent in returned Iraq war veterans. Nor does it count the tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, including Iraqi children, killed or maimed during U.S. actions in this war.
So far the Iraq war has cost well over a trillion dollars. That’s almost $5,000 per American household. And, let’s not forget, this money borrowed from other nations, including China and Saudi Arabia. One way or another we will pay it back, so the half a trillion may be only the tip of the iceberg.
And here at home? We have the mortgage, the health care, the gas price and leadership crises. Are you better off now than you were in March of 2003? What has the war in Iraq done for the U.S. except deplete our treasury, killed our sons and daughters, and lower our esteem in the eyes of the rest of the world?
War is far worse than vulgar – war is obscene.
What can you do?
Stand up and make a showing for peace and plain old common sense. On Saturday, Sept. 13 in Bangor, there will be a statewide show of support for ending the war, building the peace and rebuilding the economy at home. People will gather at Paul Bunyan Park on Main St. at 1 p.m. for a rally, then, at 2:30 p.m. there will be a Peace Walk to Hammond Street Church for a talk by Amy Goodman, host of “Democracy Now.” Join us there.
Closer to home, the weekly protest at the Bridge for Peace continues. Since March of 2003, every Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. on the Aroostook River Bridge in Presque Isle, local citizens have been protesting against this senseless war. Rain or shine, regardless of temperature or wind, you will find us there, and we welcome you to join us.
For more information about either of these actions, call 455-8158.