A Mini Mass Casualty in the ER of Balad AFB image:30605:0::0

WAR! HUH! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Unfortunately it is a inevitable action that humanity will never move past because while there are those that instigate there are others that will not go quietly into that good night. Until every human reaches the stage of enlightenment that moves past blame, that is above the actions of the past, that looks at the now and hopes for the future, war will be the only resolution of political conflict. War takes the best of people and renders their hearts into angry festering sores that wish to blame and accuse everyone and anyone for the pain. It makes people victims and takes control away from every individual from the person who lives on the battle field to the wife at home waiting for her warrior to return. It encourages hate and retaliation, and it causes people to revel in the pain of others.

That is war, that is what it does to humanity. We see it everyday, but what we as people who sit behind our computer screens do not see is the real effects on the people. The pictures on the news are tame representations of the pain, of the suffering, and of the trials faced by the victims of war. Lastly we hardly ever see the one thing that keeps us all going, the one thing that those involved in the war hold on to with all of their hearts, hope.

So while you are sitting there, blaming, debating, and discussing whatever "truth" it is your think you know, people are living in desperation. Do we know what causes war? No, not one person on this planet can tell you the real cause of any war. All we know is the propaganda we are shown on whatever side we happen to live on or identify with. Somewhere in between the finger pointing, the frustration, the anger, and the vehement and passionate beliefs is a small disappointing truth of the war. The infinitesimal misunderstanding fueled by differences in culture and morality that was blown so far out of proportion that someone had to die to prove a point.

Here are the faces of the war in Iraq. No matter if you are looking at an ally, a foe, or a civilian, you are looking at a Victim of War.


I wonder if this person will ever get use of their arm again
Update: They did have full use of their arm


A woman whose jaw was blown off by a mortar


They did a pretty good job patching her up, but she will never be the same...

This swollen appendage has been saved, I wonder what could have split the skin so far apart.


The bowels of a person that have fallen out of their body.


Another jaw injury.



A child named Brutus by the men who took care of him. He lost his parents and was eventually claimed by an uncle.


Hope. A family reunited.

All of these photos came from my husband while he was over in Iraq. His ward had a 98% survival rate, most of the remaining 2% were DOA (dead on arrival). He took care of many insurgents whose photos he was not allowed to take for the safety of the person. He told me one of the most heartbreaking circumstances is when he would treat an Iraqi who was not of the same "faction" as the hospital they would be sent to for civilian care. He said they would beg him to stay for fear the other "faction" would kill them. He took care of many children who were also victims of insurgent attacks. On a daily basis he was exposed to horrors. Yes even the troops are victims, those images, the fear, the danger, it will never leave their memory. It is forever in their minds, in their dreams, in their hearts.

I doubt many of us here on DJ could identify with what is happening to people in Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, all the places that are war ravaged in our world. So put away the swords of words that all arm chair warriors brandish and embrace that there is nothing you can do. There is nothing anyone can do. Not unless we all agree at once to be peaceful and mean it to the very depths of our hearts. And that is the hope we must cling to.