The Arrogance of Power ?

Notes of Concern…
…Jack Blair

The Arrogance of Power?

I received an email from an old friend recently. He is a fellow who spent a lot of time in a military hospital after driving over a land mine many years ago. He tears up when he speaks of our country, hears the national anthem, or talks about soldiers.

His email to me under the title of “American Arrogance” was, I suppose, an answer to those who think Americans are arrogant, spoiled, fat and sassy, or whatever. His email contained simply pictures of cemeteries in foreign lands where American men and women are buried, casualties in America’s efforts to protect not only our land, but also other nations, from tyrants.

I read through the list and I looked at the pictures. I made no effort to ascertain whether the numbers are accurate because it simply does not matter. The message is that we have been putting our lives on the line for some many nations for so very many years, sometimes appreciated and often not, and that it is time to take measure of the cost.

President Obama has determined to send 30,000 additional American men and women to fight in Afghanistan. He has laid before the American people his reasoning.

In a recent column I argued against further troops for Afghanistan. I forwarded the my theory that one more drop of American blood should not be shed in that land.

I agree that now that a decision has been made it is best for all of us to support it and to work to make it the right decision.

That said, we must be mindful of the cost of these adventures and keep in the forefront of our thinking that it isn’t just numbers who die, it is people who die. They have names, families and a future when we send them over there. We must be very certain of the value of the cause when we ask our people to place their lives in jeopardy.

Read over the list of Americans who died in Europe and remain there. Then think of the many others buried in far away places in the world in which we live. Never to be visited by family but mourned nevertheless.

This is by no means a complete list. It is simply a list of those we reportedly left in Europe to be honored by those they attempted to help.

1. The American Cemetery at Aisne-Marne, France. A total of 2,289 Americans buried.

2. The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium. A total of 5,329 Americans buried.

3. The American Cemetery at Brittany, France. A total of 4,410Americans buried.

4. Brookwood, England American Cemetery. A total of 468 Americans buried.

5. Cambridge, England. 3812 Americans buried.

6. Epinal, France American Cemetery. A total of 5,525 Americans buried.

7. Flanders Field, Belgium. A total of 368 Americans buried.

8. Florence, Italy. A total of 4,402 Americans buried.

9. Henri-Chapelle, Belgium. A total of 7,992 Americans buried.

10. Lorraine, France. A total of 10,489 Americans buried.

11. Luxembourg, Luxembourg. A total of 5,076 Americans buried

12. Meuse-Argonne. A total of 14,246 Americans buried.

13. Netherlands, Netherlands. A total of 8,301 Americans buried.

14. Normandy, France. A total of 9,387 Americans buried.

15. Oise-Aisne, France. A total of 6,012 Americans buried.

16. Rhone, France. A total of 861Americans buried.

17. Sicily, Italy. A total of 7,861 Americans buried

18. Somme, France. A total of 1,844 Americans buried

19. St. Mihiel, France. A total of 4,153 Americans buried