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Underestimated Tolls

I know I am as guilty as anyone of only focusing on the American losses in the war in Iraq. But this article only hits home how ashamed we should be of ourselves for letting it happen and allowing it to continue.

Some notable highlights, or low points if you prefer (emphasis mine):
Americans are keenly aware of how many U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. But they woefully underestimate the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed...

Christopher Gelpi, a Duke University political scientist who tracks public opinion on war casualties, said a better understanding of the Iraqi death toll probably wouldn't change already negative public attitudes toward the war much. People in democracies generally don't shy away from inflicting civilian casualties, he said, and they may be even more tolerant of them in situations such as Iraq, where many of the civilian deaths are caused by other Iraqis.

"You have to look at who's doing the killing," said Neal Crawford, a restaurant manager in Suttons Bay, Mich., who guessed that about 10,000 Iraqis had been killed. "If these people are dying because a roadside bomb goes off or if there's an insurgent attack in a marketplace, it's an unfortunate circumstance of war — people die."

While the human cost of this war can be tallied, what can never be measured is the moral toll this war has taken on our society.

Update: More from Kathy.

(Filed at State of the Day)