One Hat Tip to Hitchens
Full disclosure, I've always hated Chris Hitchens' politics. I've never been fond of his writings, either ... he's great with the pen, but only rarely have I seen greatness in his logic as I see in others that I'll occassionally agree or disagree with. But given an excellent artform, one is likely to occassionally strike anyone with a well-thought idea or two on occassion. The latest from Hitchens may be one of his best ...
I went to bed on Tuesday night, pointlessly sickened by the news that American deaths in Iraq had exceeded 1,000. Why do I say pointlessly? Well, in the first place because one knew this figure was coming, and in the second place because if it had stayed at 999 one could hardly have taken any comfort from the fact. I woke up, as one sometimes does, remembering that there was a book of poems I had to consult. It's a tattered thing on my shelf: an old anthology called Poetry of the Thirties that took a while to hunt down. The poem I was seeking is titled "A Thousand Killed," and it reads like this:I read of a thousand killed.
And am glad because the scrounging imperial paw
Was there so bitten:
As a man at elections is thrilled
When the results pour in, and the North goes with him
And the West breaks in the thaw.(That fighting was a long way off.)
Forgetting therefore an election
Being fought with votes and lies and catch-cries
And orator's frowns and flowers and posters' noise
Is paid for with cheques and toys:
Wars the most glorious
Victory-winged and steeple-uproarious
... With the lives, burned-off,
Of young men and boys.....
Nobody was able to say anything useful or memorable about the September day on which the American dead in Iraq passed the 1,000 mark. I shall not try to improve on this. John Kerry used the lame term "milestone," which only shows the general inadequacy of words. There were some conventional remarks about "our brave men and women in uniform," which could have been uttered on any day. I become irritated or disgusted only when anyone attempts to enlist these now voiceless dead for their own purposes. Respectful silence would be a far better response.
And to that, I add a hearty "Amen." As an aside, I'll note my own disgust for something seen whilst doing campaign work. Our little voter reg. shop gets a slew of volunteers, all with their own thoughts, ideas, decorating habits, etc ... and when I walked in last night, I saw a poster charting the thousand lost lives in Iraq. I have to say quite openly that I was disgusted. John Kerry's own words, that "More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have now given their lives on behalf of their country, on behalf of freedom, in the war on terror ..." would have been appropriate enough. But to seemingly glorify death in the name of either pacificism or isolationism does too great a disservice to the meaning behind the lives of those soldiers. They didn't die for their memory to be politicized or even misrepresented by ideologues of either side. They died doing the service of their country. Apologies to Hitchens for not just letting silence speak on that. His point, nevertheless, is well taken and well made.