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Patricia Lay-Dorsey | all galleries >> my photo-a-day archives >> 2007 photo-a-day galleries >> Photo-a-day September 2007 > the human cost of war
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23-SEP-2007

the human cost of war

I took this photo on Saturday at "Arlington Midwest" in Grand Circus Park, downtown Detroit. The name Arlington Midwest is based on Arlington Cemetery in Virginia where America's military combat veterans are buried. This traveling installation is made up of 4234 mock wooden tombstones planted in the ground, each with the name, age, hometown, date and place of death of the U.S. men and women who have fought and died in Iraq and Afghanstan. Unfortunately, these numbers grow every day that U.S. troops remain in these wartorn countries. There is also a section of tombstones for those returning Iraqi vets who have committed suicide, at least those we know about. This man and his son were looking at the tombstones of these suicide victims--the uncounted casualties of war--when I took their picture. Arlington Midwest is not just about American deaths; it is also about the hundreds of thousands--at least 650,000--Iraqi men, women and children who have lost their lives in the American war on and occupation of their country. There are poles planted in a circle around the fountain in the center of this urban park. On each pole is a typed list of all the names and ages of the Iraqi victims of war who are known to have died. One is asked to walk around and around this circle in meditation on the hundreds of thousands of victims whose names we do not know. Arlington West is not a political statement: it is a reminder of the human cost of war. I will return today to complete the photos for a gallery I want to post about this heartbreaking installation.

Canon EOS 350D
1/250s f/10.0 at 42.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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H2M25-Sep-2007 06:36
Excellent capture and moving words. Thank you! Vote.
Guest 24-Sep-2007 02:15
So well said and shot. V
Barbara Heide23-Sep-2007 22:58
strong capture! v
Guest 23-Sep-2007 21:35
A fine capture with beautiful backlighting that seems just right for the sad subject portrayed here. Interesting but appalling and heart-breaking background information, Patricia. ~V~
Sabina Salihbasic23-Sep-2007 19:15
keep on patricia!
Paco López23-Sep-2007 17:04
Powerful light here, Pat!!!!!!! Strong image. VOTE!
Ann...23-Sep-2007 15:49
Thank you for this very moving photograph. It's good to know that these lives, so cruelly lost are being remembered.
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