Are not all lost lives equal?

There were 39 combat related killings in Iraq during a past month. During this same time the City of Detroit had 35 murders. I don't know how many murders the United States had during this same month or the totals of alcohol related deaths, fatalities from vehicle accidents or drugs. Each death is a violent, tragic event. While circumstances vary, is not each life lost the equal of every other?

It appears that more consequence is given to the loss of life in the war on terror than to any other circumstance. Front page headlines and the hours the media devotes to this war's fatalities seem out of proportion to other deaths we sustain. However we parse the debate, this disproportionate attention is usually accompanied by anti-President Bush, anti-war sentiments. They have political root.

Any deaths in Iraq are unnecessary we hear. There were no WMDs, there is no justification for this war. We didn't have Germany, France, Russia or Spain with us. That some 50 nations initially supported the war on terrorism has not silenced the critique that we, the United States (read President Bush) decided to "go it alone" in Iraq.

What meaning does 9/11 have?

If loss of life is the primary concern, more people were killed at the twin towers than at Pearl Harbor. Both were acts of war.

Anthrax killed U.S. citizens and so has the West Nile virus. Can any of us swear that terrorists are not responsible?

Bin Ladin tells us we spent $1 million for every dollar he invested in the 9/11 attack. Is he not ready, anxious to re-engage?

The attacks on 9/11 were made by half the terrorists that were trained and ready to fly hijacked planes, turned missiles, into other cities, other targets. Are they disbanded or waiting for a sign to 9/11 Chicago, Seattle, Dallas or San Francisco?

Can anyone claim with certainty that premature withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq will not activate "9/11" assaults on cities "over here." Wresting a Pacific Island from the Japanese in WW II cost us 58,000 lives. We suffered this horrific cost bravely. Do we, does humanity, have that much less at stake now than then?

Sotero Muniz

Polson