The Real Costs of War

We should learn from history. I've seen Washington, D.C. and the monuments many times. I believe these monuments were errected to help teach the past and its effects on the American people and the world. Franklin Delano Roosevelt has many quotes engraved on stones at his monument there. One thing he said was, "We are now in this war. We are all in it - all the way. Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history." Another quote that is engraved on a stone at his memorial is "I have seen war, I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded...I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed...I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
The Iraqi war started when the U.S. believed that Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was a risk to Middle East peace, and was in possession of weapons of mass destruction. U.S. forces stormed Iraq and have since freed the Iraqis from decades of oppression. They unleashed chaos on the terrorist/oppresive regimes. Iraqi civilians have died, and so have many of our brave men and women, but many have begun to heal and learn about the meaning of freedom. The psychological effects on the children who have seen death first hand, and the shell shock of our own troops should give us more to think about than the "cost" of the war. I keep hearing politicians talking about the "cost" of war. ALL of the politicians and media personalities seem to forget this war isn't just costing us a price in monetary value. What about the people dying? What about that cost! The soldiers are divided about the purposes and validity of the war. They know that whether or not they support the war, they have enlisted and they are doing their jobs. The real cost of a war are the deaths it has caused. Whether or not the soldiers are divided on the validity, we should be united in our efforts to not forget the true costs of this war. Today the American Military casualties in Iraq are 4,168, (3,376 of which died in direct combat). The total death toll due to the Iraqi invasion is 1,267,401. That is quite a cost for freedom and democracy. No matter how you look at it, this war is costly. Whether or not you agree with the invasion or war in general, there should still be a sense of appreciation for the sacrifices being made. There will be many repercussions of this war on the mental, physical and emotional state of the children, the soldiers, and their families. Iraqi children are homeless, parentless, and are wounded. Our soldiers are away from their families, and many of those families have been left fatherless, motherless, brotherless, etc. Let’s not forget the real cost of war. Our troops and the innocent children deserve at least that much!