Brave New Films (the folks who brought you the Walmart and Fox News movies) have launched a new project to create an online video memorial for the more than 3000 American soldiers that have died in the war so far. People who have experienced a lost can upload a testimonial to the Iraq Veterans Memorial.
Seen in the context of the US media landscape, this is important because there has been virtually no coverage of their deaths or funerals in the media here. At least nothing in comparison to what we see in other European countries or even Puerto Rico. It's like it never happened.
Just listen to Magnum photographer Paul Fusco explain how he had to sneak around the internet to even find out where the funerals were being held. No one wants a media frenzy, but it would be nice to have a more accurate sense of proportion of the costs of war.
I wish Brave New Films would include testimonials from Iraqi families too. Why not? (Apart from the need for a gigantic server). Has everyone forgotten that "the Iraqis" aren't "the enemy", but the people our war-happy leaders allegedly wanted to help so bad? If we can't make human empathy transcend borders or cultures, we'll never be free of war. More pertinently, we won't be able to understand even a fraction of what this has all really cost.
