from sea to shining sea

Palm Beach Post - U.S. service men, women who have died in Iraq, Afghanistan

I haven't done as much thinking about what's going on with the war in the part of the world right now as I'd like to, Not in my own head, let alone here, but coming across this link above, I thought to put it up. It's a map that breaks out each of those killed thus far by state and hometown. More than two dozen from New York, NY, and from what I can tell, someone from every state in this conflicted country.

Nothing can begin to make it real for any of us, not unless you've been there, or have known a family member or close friend who has. On a daily basis, and on an exponentially larger scale, there are so many things both larger and worse, better and less obvious, that happen in the world that we take no notice of, either by choice, or by virtue of the simple fact that there's too much to take in, to process, and to have any sound intelligent or emotional reaction to. The map's a small argument in favor of trying to do so, though, and that's still something.