Counting the dead: Minneapolis man marks war dead on garage memorial
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 at 4:15 pm
- 2 Comments
Jim Weber considers it a reminder, not a political statement. The 57-year-old Vietnam veteran and retired postal service worker started tallying U.S. military casualties in Iraq on a three-by-four whiteboard above his garage door in 2003. “At first, I wondered if I should do it, if I’d end up with eggs on my house,” says Weber.
Five years later, Weber continues to update his counter, keeping track of the death toll by reading news articles and a Web site called icasualties.org. In the summer, people walking by his white picket-fenced yard on the corner of 41st and Washburn Avenue in north Minneapolis stop to talk about his display.
“The feedback has been very positive,” says Weber. “They stop and thank me for having the signs up.”
Watch the video above for more of our interview with Weber.
2 Comments
Comment posted March 26, 2008 @ 6:27 pm
Keeping things in perspective MILITARY DEATHS BY YEAR
Below is some very interesting data referencing deaths in the military. I guarantee you will not read this in your local newspaper nor will you see it on the daily news broadcast.
Deaths in the Year
1980 ………. 2,392
1981 ……… 2,380
1982 ………. 2,318
1983 ……… 2,465
1984 ……… 1,999
1985 ………. 2,252
1986 ………. 1,984
1987 ……… 1,983
1988 ………. 1,819
1989 ………. 1,636
1990 …….. 1,508
1991 ………. 1,787
1992 ………. 1,293
1993 ……… 1,213
1994 ……… 1,075
1995 ………. 1,040
1996 ……… 974
1997 ………. 817
1998 ………. 826
1999 ………. 795
2000 …….. 774
2001 ………. 890
2002 ………. 1007
2003 …….. 1,410 [534*]
2004 ………. 1,887 [900*]
2005 …….. [919*]
2006 ………. [920*]
Figures noted with an asterisk (*) indicates deaths as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
You may initially be confused when you look at these figures –especially when you see that in 1980, during the term of President Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities. What this clearly indicates is that our media and our liberal politicians pick and choose and tend to present only those facts that support their agenda driven reporting. Another fact our left media and politicians like to slant is that these brave men and women losing their lives are minorities. Wrong again – The latest census shows the following:
European descent (white) ….. 69.12%
Hispanic …. 12.5%
African American ….. 12.3%
Asian …. 3.7%
Native American …. 1.0%
Other ….. 2.6%
The fatalities over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom are:
European descent (white) …. 74.31%
Hispanic ….. 10.74%
African American … 9.67%
Asian …. 1.81%
Native American …. 1.09%
Other …. 2.33%
These statistics are published by DOD and may be viewed at American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics at http://www.fas.org/s….
Comment posted March 26, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Keeping things in perspective MILITARY DEATHS BY YEAR
Below is some very interesting data referencing deaths in the military. I guarantee you will not read this in your local newspaper nor will you see it on the daily news broadcast.
Deaths in the Year
1980 ………. 2,392
1981 ……… 2,380
1982 ………. 2,318
1983 ……… 2,465
1984 ……… 1,999
1985 ………. 2,252
1986 ………. 1,984
1987 ……… 1,983
1988 ………. 1,819
1989 ………. 1,636
1990 …….. 1,508
1991 ………. 1,787
1992 ………. 1,293
1993 ……… 1,213
1994 ……… 1,075
1995 ………. 1,040
1996 ……… 974
1997 ………. 817
1998 ………. 826
1999 ………. 795
2000 …….. 774
2001 ………. 890
2002 ………. 1007
2003 …….. 1,410 [534*]
2004 ………. 1,887 [900*]
2005 …….. [919*]
2006 ………. [920*]
Figures noted with an asterisk (*) indicates deaths as a result of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
You may initially be confused when you look at these figures –especially when you see that in 1980, during the term of President Jimmy Carter, there were 2,392 US military fatalities. What this clearly indicates is that our media and our liberal politicians pick and choose and tend to present only those facts that support their agenda driven reporting. Another fact our left media and politicians like to slant is that these brave men and women losing their lives are minorities. Wrong again – The latest census shows the following:
European descent (white) ….. 69.12%
Hispanic …. 12.5%
African American ….. 12.3%
Asian …. 3.7%
Native American …. 1.0%
Other ….. 2.6%
The fatalities over the past three years in Iraqi Freedom are:
European descent (white) …. 74.31%
Hispanic ….. 10.74%
African American … 9.67%
Asian …. 1.81%
Native American …. 1.09%
Other …. 2.33%
These statistics are published by DOD and may be viewed at American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics at http://www.fas.org/s….
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