Only 13

I was listening to Harry Beadle deliver the 1pm (Eastern) edition of "CNN Radio News" today (Friday, October 31) and old Harry sounded like he was pretty geeked up about what he called, and I quote, "Good news out of Iraq today."

According to Harry, it seems not a single US soldier died in Baghdad this month!  Huzzah!

Then Harry had to go and spoil the whole thing and stress my mellow.  In following up he noted that "only 13 American soldiers died elsewhere in Iraq in October."

Really?  Only 13?  Only?

I will say this.  It's the first time this month I've heard any word whatsoever in the broadcast media anywhere about US war deaths in Iraq.  Maybe the first time in weeks.  In fact, there are entire months that go by without any mention of the on-going deaths in the War Bush Lied America Into unless I happen to be listening to This Is America with Jon Elliot (11pm Eastern on Air America Radio, 1310 WDTW-AM here in Detroit) on the first of the month.  During his first show every month, Elliot ends his broadcast by reading a list (name, age and hometown) of every US soldier killed in Iraq during the month just ended.

There have been months when it would take over an hour to complete the list.  May, 2007, for example. That one included 127 names and ages and hometowns. It took Jon almost two hours of airtime to read it.  This is America is billed by its host as "the fastest two hours on radio".  Not that night it wasn't.

Now, I get it that 13 is far fewer than 127.  But 13 of our brothers and sisters who were alive when this month began are now dead.  13 more have died for Bush's lies in the past month.

I fail to see the good news to which Mr. Beadle made reference.

By the way, the most recent Iraq War death, the 13th in the month of October, occurred Thursday.  The name of the decedent has not yet been released.  He or she is the 4,189th American to die in Iraq.  So far.

Four days until we change America.