War

By Courtney Kube and Jim Miklaszewski~MSNBC

August has been the deadliest month for the U.S. military in the entire Afghanistan war.

As of this afternoon, 51 American service members have been killed in Afghanistan this month. That breaks the previous record set only last month when 45 Americans were killed in July.



With four months to go, this is also already a record year for American casualties in Afghanistan – 182 U.S. service members have been killed so far this year, compared to last year’s 155.

Faith, War and De-Programing

You know me, I'm no Holly Roller, Jesus Freak or Bible Thumper. But I do have faith that there is a higher power for good and that there is life after death and that there will be a kind of justice when it's all said and done.
Sometimes I go to church with Shelly, just to make her happy. One Sunday, a few months back, the preacher was saying a prayer and in my mind I was saying "Please watch over _____"
(fill in the blank) I don't even remember the list of people that I was naming.
That's when a slightly strange thing happened, I saw this in my head (All?), it surprised me but I kind of shrugged my shoulders and mentally said "Yes."
That has kind of been bouncing around in my head for a while now and it has changed my attitude a little.
When I use to hear about something bad happening, I would wait to see if it was somehow deserved or if it was an enemy. Now I don't, nothing in this world is as clear cut as that.
We are use to hearing war news like this "In a clash with insurgents near Fallujah today 8 American soldiers were killed and at least 12 insurgents are reported dead."
Too bad it will never be reported as "In a clash near Fallujah 20 men died fighting for a cause that they believed in." "These men are no longer suffering but for 20 wives, 40 parents, 43 children, 30 sisters and 22 brothers, the suffering has just begun."
"On a much lighter note..."