The Picture
By David Glenn Cox
Photo by Eugene Richards
I want you to look very closely at this picture and try and keep it in your minds eye. This was a perfectly healthy twenty two-year-old young man who in the service of his country got half of his head blown off. I think that’s important, I think that’s newsworthy. Let me tell you how newsworthy I think it is. I think that it’s more important than chocolate cake recipes and far more important than comic book reviews. It is more important than who fell and whose swell at the winter Olympic games.
It is far more important than any self-serving load of crap banged out by Pseudo doctor Amy. It is more important than American Idol or Lost or any other mindless goat droppings the public chooses to chew on. This is some American mother’s son, her little boy, he may be gay or straight or transgender but his life is fucked forever.
How did this come to happen to this poor mother’s son? It came to happen because the people in the media who are supposed to foster a public debate on such public issues as war instead used their franchise to promote articles about chocolate cake and comic book reviews. They see their free press as free to choose not to look when bad thinks happen. They feel no need to explain to his parents or to anyone that the war that blew off half of this poor boys head was based on out and out lies.
It was a war perpetrated by people who hoped to gain from it be it in oil or pipelines or service contracts and like the media they don’t care that this mother’s son is mangled and mutilated. Do you care? I’ve been married twice for a combined twenty-five years and in that time I doubt my wives ever baked a chocolate cake. I don’t read comic books or watch goat crap TV but you see I’ve got a son about this boy’s age. My heart aches and my mind fills with rage because the people that have the power and authority to show this picture would rather talk about American Idol and from where I sit that makes them an accomplice to a war crime.
Because not content to ignore the current victims they support more crimes and call for more wars. Several years ago in Iraq parents waited for their children at a bus stop. An errant coalition missile struck the bus stop and blew the elementary school age children to pieces. Needless to say this wasn’t widely reported but the parents in a frenzy began fighting over the body parts of their children. Little arms and legs, little headless torsos identifiable only by the shirt or dress they were wearing. Imagine the horror, imagine the type of people who could do such a thing. How do they live with themselves? How do they sleep at night?
They do it by watching Lost and American Idol and by eating chocolate cake. They read comic books and watch sports. It makes life easy because the media will not intrude on their fantasy world but instead will promote the fantasy. Oh, but who won the gold metal in curling and who was eliminated on American Idol.
Iraq war Coalition Deaths 4,696
Injured 30,000
Iraqi civilian deaths and injured, 1,366,650
Afghanistan coalition Deaths 1,659
American taxpayers bill as of today $964,044,305,874
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Mick Arran
Magnus101
sarahsjourneys
Fudo Myoö
Sean Fenley
Kerry Lauerman
Salon.com
Comments
What a senseless waste.
The picture does not give me peace. I have spoken and written against this war all most every day since it began. I have a documented past of writing against the last administration and the current one so how does that make me a war criminal?
Do you think that it is notoriety that I seek? You have perverse sensibilities.
This is heartbreaking, could be any mother's son. r
The inescapable fact is that sports, and chocolate cake recipes and American Idol attract more viewers (and readers, though they are a small and shrinking demographic compared to TV viewers) than the sad, depressing, ugly stinking truth about the horror of war, the looming reality of climate change, and the specter of impending global financial collapse.
Every major network long ago combined their news and entertainment divisions and now they are, for all intents and purposes. one and the same. Their utility function is, as stated before, to attract and hold the minuscule attention of as many "consumers" (think about that word) for as long as possible, as often as possible.
Yes - the war in Iraq is bullshit. Yes - this picture is heartbreaking almost beyond comprehension. And yes, there exist people in this society who are complicit in glossing over these stark realities. But let's lay the blame squarely where it belongs - at the feet of the very same capitalist system that created the wars in the first place, to ensure that the oil and the money keep flowing.
You don’t even have a journalist who will question: “how can it be possible that International Armed Forces of hundreds of thousands, equipped with the most sophisticated weapons available today, with powerful air-fighters, short and long range missiles, atate of the art communication and spying equipment, spying satellites, pilot-less drones, etc., etc., cannot defeat a midget army, with no tanks, no air-figters, no war-helicopters, no warships, etc.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/yd3bey2
To suggest David Cox is a war criminal "blind Duck", is so disrespectful, makes it's clear, that is what you meant it to be.
You are "Numpty" sir.... Don't know what a Numpty is? Well I guess you don't....
The intelligent amongst David's readers can guess though.. and that probably means most of them.....
Rated David for the courage you have to speak out... and for the dignity you preserve, for the men and women that are compelled to continue this atrocity.
But I wonder about the usefulness of this dark and cynical rant. The fact that these are cynical and dark times should push us individually to make our own tiny spheres a bit brighter, a bit less cynical and dark. I mean, how many care packages have you sent out to service members deployed overseas? How many victims of tragedy have you aided? How many service member's spouses have you comforted?
It is incredibly easy to be angry and cynical--to scream blindly at the wall about the unfairness and the stupidity. It is so easy that everyone seems to be doing it these days--from bloggers to cable-news pundits to popular politicians. How is this working out for us? It is a more difficult proposition, especially in these times, to reflect light into our immediate world.
I reject and rebel against the anger and the cynicism not because I deny it's existence, but because it has become so overwhelming and pervasive. Where do we go with this bitter and cynical anger? It is ultimately poison. Gandhi's aphorism "Be the change you wish to see in the world" probably seems trite and cliche to you sir, but I happen to think it might be our only weapon against the darkness. I'm not perfect, but I do the best I can.
Look at what is on the cover here day after day. I'm being the change that I wish to see and and I'm raging for change and what you're saying in effect is, "Ask nicely"
Every President in my lifetime has been a war criminal except perhaps Jimmy Carter and the majority of American are Good Germans who stand willfully blind to the truth.
There are many things people can do as citizens to stand up against the corporations that control us, but few do and when someone does, like you, the sheep come t0 denigrate. Write, protest, vote, contribute to the few decent people who run for office, contribute to the CCR and ACLU who fight to preserve the few rights we have left, volunteer, etc. But most of all stop believing that these wars are necessary or "good." monkey fingered.
And it is easy and mean to think that someone trying to make their tiny world better and happier is somehow trite. Yes, it's an ugly world--why should I contribute to it?
I commented here because I thought you were better than this. I thought you were better than to crassly use the image of an injured soldier, of a brother, to whine about a silly blogging site. And I get snark and cleverness as a response to an earnest criticism. This is sad. This attitude of yours reeks of a coward who has spent a lifetime bitching from the sidelines, never having pitched in, never having seen horror up close. It's petty and small to use the terrible war and the image of a soldier to bitch and whine about some silly blogging site. Or the media. Or stupid Americans. Or politicians. Or whatever meta-entity you're pissed at today.
Like I said, I thought you were better than this. I thought you were a serious and thoughtful fellow. My mistake. This is why I try to avoid talking about this sort of thing with any of you people. I apologize.
I don't blame media entirely. I blame the whole manipulation of the system where war mongering is considered the norm, and people who protest it are "traitors."
Kim
"José was the youngest police chief in the state of New Hampshire, forever. But then he was in the National Guard, and they asked for volunteers. It was on March 1, 2006..."
The million plus of Iraqis and Afghans and now Yemenis and Pakistanis we've maimed or killed for oil, pipelines, profit each have a story just as heartbreaking.
The Fifth Book of Peace. - by Maxine Hong Kingston.
I spoke ref Chaplains saying nil, NOTHING, and thus, in my opinion, that's to sanction bloodshed, greed, and the great party of big war wig, pro-LIES. LIES. True. The piece I contributed to my Friend - Maxine's book 'spoke of ground-PFCs standing around the bloody, dying GI.
Troops cried and kept screaming`
PLEASE doc/medic...
Don't let PK die.
over and over,
He laid inside out perimeter for two-and one-half days. No joke!
We were surrounded by NVA soldiers who resented the 28,000 foot above planes aerial bombing their families up North. History.
Kissinger/Nixon Same-Same today - Politician's ill- ilk. They wine and dine, and whine gibber-jabber "What The American People Want?"
Phooey! Frauds. 'Um the Bastard ill offspring of today's 21st century!
Beelzebub.
Cohorts of flies!
'Um sip in pubs!
block from WH!
The house sick.
The sick house.
paint it yellow.
I read the Real Estate value of 'our' National White House Home is worth an estimated $350 million. If it had yellow tin siding it would covey more honesty. O! Ah!
Oy! People are sacrificed off!
Politio's pals can sip red gut!
It's spaghetti and French fry!
No.
They gorge on geese rot-guts!
And they gorge chug a lug jugs!
They bribe. Slurp $350.00 jug!
That's the truth. Wastrel craps!
`
I guess I'm venting. There is a rare medical procedure that is about 33% failure. For serious head injuries, the VA hospitals perform a vascular arterial surgery. They can take the entire stomach muscle and transplant it. I lov my 42 year old vascular surgeon. She was having birth contraction one day while looking at my rotted left fibula bone.
Howdy doc.
MD frauds?
Not VA doc.
Thank You.
Hi medics.
Ya Healer.
I could look up the name of the tummy muscle and google it. Never mind. I will pass.
It looks so gross.
After breakfast?
Enter leg contest.
okay. I'll lose tho.
I grieve for the Mothers/Fathers/Friends. I could rant on this sad topic forever too.
I'll go for a walk.
Hope no tree limb conks on war-mongering heads? Oh, they can wait. Post croak.
Then, an account?
They steal a nickel.
At funeral parlors?
A mortician stuffs?
Pickle, beet, or dill?
A purple top turnip?
Stop up squirt holes.
They are Ann Coulter,
Rush Limbaugh, Rove,
Oh, Jehoof a big mule,
at funeral none cries?
No one if HONEST!
These scoundrels!
None care. ? 'Um$
Offspring want $$!
No, None grieves?
Children want ?$$!
None respect thugs!
Their own children?
None.
They ruin children.
They are wastrels.
God bear witness.
Speak thee truth.
Grandkid despise.
It's Innate Disgust.
It's the damn truth.
No.
Yes.
The piece I wrote in `The Fifth Book Of Piece for Maxine Hong Kingston was titles`
It Don't Mean Nothing.
It's a sad play with words.
The skull surgical procedure?
I had it done. Not on a head.
It was done to my left calf leg.
It don't go moo moo. It is sad.
My leg seems okay with a limp.
It's sorta a wobble. A Survivor.
I walk better than DC's drunks.
Bless. Some how we all survive.
But the cold facts are that you don't like the message so you attack the messenger.
How many packages have I sent, how many spouses have I comforted? OMG what a red herring. I try to make the point that there are things going on that deserve attention far more than TV and people magazine stories and it becomes "what have you done to help the troops?"
If and when the public decides that it has had enough murderous nonsense then maybe we will bring the troops home and they won't need care packages or comforting. You do that by showing the ugliness of it. So what have I done? I published a picture to show you the pain and suffering of a real life. I called out the infantilism of a web site that routinly ignores anything important in favor of a people magazine format. It’s not much, I know, but its all that I can do. What have you done?
John was four years older than us, he was cool. he new all the best music and drove a 66 Mustang. We looked up to him with little brother eyes. Then John stepped on a mine and was killed. The Army said that he was killed in combat and it wasn't until later that the family learned that the army sent home a weighted casket because when John stepped on the mine there was nothing left of him but a blood spray on a tree.
I watched what it did to that family and how it affected each member differently. I realized that those names and numbers on the six o'clock news were real boys with real families. John was nineteen and as the years go by I understand just how young that is and I've never forgotten John becuase he was a big kid that didn't treat like the stupid little goofs that we were.
When the traveling Veitnam memorial visited town I went to see it.
I told myself that I was going to see it just to see it but I cried like a baby at the 50,000 John's
When I was in recently at the good caring, overworked, staff of healthcare providers the LT,
a former West Point platoon LT.
the One whp patched up my artery:`
He blew his brains out. Gunshot Suicide.
His wife gave me some black and white art.
In the early seneties PFC Jerry Matin did same.
He use ti call me, but, I was wondering somewhere.
My Father said Gerry needs to talk. I get so ANGRY!
DCs VAMC does what they can. I'm sore at LIERS,
and weird-ill mentalities. That's a form of NUMB!
Numbness is a weapon of escape/denial. Thanks.
Well. Thanks for flashbacks. You see your face?
If You visit the Vietnam Memorial it will reflect.
I gathered on a paper-pencil rub my own name.
Two names stood out on a panel. Arthur James.
It wasn't me. You can read the register of death.
It's very likely You see names you loved pop out.
So - take a book, pencil, tissue. Do the rub-outs.
It's something I can still hardly imagine, whoa.
A few days ago I cleaned out a hutch cubbyhole.
Everyone has junk-storage closets? I found them!
No tease.
I found the photos I took with cheap GI cameras.
The old Vietnam photos. I sent home the images.
The ones I didn't dare show my grieving parents?
A waterproof ammo box that had images I'd hide?
Sad. Images that I wanted to protect lovers from?
Money, a ring from my finger etc. Oy! ivory bowl?
I did look at a photo with that ivory bowl etc. cry?
I saw bomb craters, fire bases, dead trees, weeps?
The politicians don't give a iota of care. Evil hoot!
Ask those who were face-t0-face. We were tricked!
It's a long story. My Uncle Bernard was killed etc.,
He was a WW2 pilot that never went to war. Then:
Three weeks later my Grandmother died in N.Y..
Grandpa (Bebop, affectionately nicknamed) cried.
I was only a few moths old. Bernard died in a plane.
A accident happened at Andrew Air Base Field. This:
On the trip to West Pint another accident happened.
My Grandmother died from a femur artery severed.
I don't kid you. It's all saved in a Cousin Bill's DVD?
O whatever they are called.
Ig I ever learn to 'cut/paste'
I could show damaged plane,
weddings, and bunch of stuff.
But, I am rambling. I'll go sow.
Maybe one day I want to show?
I'm tech-idiot. I like 3X5 cards.
The computer may/will conks?
Like sage said`We best prepare.
Re your comment "...there is nothing that can be done by the average citizen that will make a difference." When I read that, I thought of the thousands of marchers who braved police dogs and fire hoses to advance the civil rights movement. Then, I went to my dictionary to define misanthrope (synonym = cynical).
Tagging your post as "sports" is devious. Clever, but devious. Or, did I miss something? Is it possible to attract 45,777 views in a little over 24 hours? That's what the topic/tag pages say.
They were brave folks. I would say that they made some progress in advancement, but fell short of their goal. Prison population statistics demonstrate racism's continued march. There have been marches of hundreds of thousands that were news stories for a few days, then mostly forgotten. In a country where I'm not allowed to directly vote for the President, what influence can I have? Even at a state and county level, our leaders are out of step. I wouldn't say I'm a misanthrope; I don't hate humanity. I'm am saddened that ineffectual argument is about all we can apparently achieve.
Best to you.
He volunteered for the service, and he knew that really bad things might happen to him. We, at this point, have an all volunteer army. There isn't a draft. Perhaps there should be.
However...I voted against Bush..both times. I marched in the streets against the war in Iraq. I wrote and am still writing my congress-people and senators against the escalation in Afghanistan, and for the withdrawal of troops from both places.
I'm vocal and involved in the politics of these wars, and have been for years. What else would you have me do? I'm too effing old to join the service.
I guess not watching TV and not eating sweets will help? Give me a break.
How about you do something useful and send me an address where I might send a card to this young man? Some money for his care?
R
The interests that are being served and defended are those of Haliburton/KBR, Exxon/Mobile, Blackwater/XE, Bechtel, and all of the other war profiteering members of the military-industrial complex and central banking cartels that comprise the ruling corporatocracy that owns and runs its subsidiary corporation, the United States government.
The interests that are being served and defended are those of Haliburton/KBR, Exxon/Mobile, Blackwater/XE, Bechtel, and all of the other war profiteering members of the military-industrial complex and central banking cartels that comprise the ruling corporatocracy that owns and runs its subsidiary corporation, the United States government.
It occurs to me that some of your viewers might be antiwar conservatives. I am sure there are some. To them, I say no offense is intended.
http://www.open.salon.com/blog/trilogy/2010/03/01/tell_me_why
(Thank God, she recovered and is doing well today -- according to a recent TV account.)
At least double that number of Canadian soldiers now face life-threatening injuries. How many wounded American soldiers do not even receive appropriate health care? Where is the American outrage?
Yes, this picture is heart-wrenching. Yes, war is hell and injured soldiers are newsworthy. But the New York Times is not guilty of war crimes for disagreeing with you. And freedom of press means PRECISELY what you say it doesn't. It means they can print (or not print) whatever the hell they want.
This particular soldier got his head blown off because he believed he was defending that freedom. You sir are a sick bastard. You're trying to stir people up with painful photographs while doing exactly what you accuse the giant news agencies of.
You're not making this news any more than they are. What's this soldier's name? What happened to him? What branch of the service is he in? Who's hugging him? Where is he? You fucking hypocrite.
All you're doing is waving a photo at people to make them upset. You're the worst kind of "journalist" there is.
Here is a soldier who's life is "fucked forever," and the greatest tribute you can think to pay him is to use his pain to further your own agenda. From where I'm sitting, that makes you a textbook example of cowardice.
It might interest you to know that newspapers are businesses that seek to make money. You don't make money showing people shit they don't want to see. You don't make money talking about a war that everybody is tired of (and have been for a long time). The fact that you have that picture and were able to calculate (or find) the statistics listed on the bottom of your article means that some news agency somewhere is doing its job.
Respond if you must, but it won't be for my benefit. I won't be giving you any more traffic.
So many people have already expressed all the things I thought about saying as I read David's piece, so I'll just say what I think matters most--my apologies if it's been said before in this huge stream of comments.
The media has a higher calling than profit. Most folks don't seem to get past the whole profit motive for not wanting to show photos like the one above. But the truth is, the Founding Fathers wanted an independent media to function as the fourth branch of government. I think it was Franklin who said he'd rather have no government at all and an active, independent media, rather than the other way around.
The media is how we educate ourselves. It's how we learn about the world. If our media doesn't have the guts to show us reality, then we can't make an educated choice about anything in our lives--not just who we vote for, but how we spend our money, what we eat, where we go... writing this off as some sort of profit-thing is disgusting and suggests that money is more important than human life.
There is no excuse for our media in it's current state and I like to believe that if all Americans, all humans even, knew what was really going on in the world, we'd do something about it.
But because our media has kept so much from us, it's not fair to accuse the average joe of warcrimes. The dog isn't at fault for eating the homework. He's just a dumb dog. And we're dumb people, made that way through no fault of our own by a media and a government not interested in doing their job. They both just want to keep their salaries and us distracted.
I am curious, David, where did you get this image? I'd love to know more about this guy and how he came to be this way. Maybe folks would like to help his family with donations or something? But thank you for this post. Powerful, obviously...