August 15, 2008--Bodies Count

I know it’s getaway Friday and during midsummer no one wants to be bothered by disturbing news. But while all of us are trying to head somewhere relaxing, there’s a potentially big war brewing in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.

Beyond what is intrinsically disturbing about this, the Russian invasion of Georgia itself and how the Bush administration in its macho may be contributing to the incitement of the Russians who want to demonstrate that even though they “lost” the Cold War they still have a world-class military that needs to be reckoned with, beyond these geopolitical and nationalistic issues is the slaughter of innocent Georgians who I suppose the Russians consider “collateral damage.”

But with the help of the New York Times we are getting to know something about these suffering Georgians. Not only are there vivid print reports from reporters on the ground but through photos, many in color, we are receiving a sadly vivid picture of the toll this onslaught is taking on the civilian population.

Take, as an example, the August 13th issue of the Times. Above the fold on page one we see pregnant 29 year-old Tamar Enukidze, in what appears to be her best dress, standing stoically beside the open coffin of her dead husband. Poignantly, we see her reaching to touch his immobile head. There is no better example of how a picture is worth at least a thousand words.

Then, still in the first section, on page A10, in black and white this time, there are pictures of two other victims of the bombing in Gori. The first shows a distraught Dutch reporter sitting in the open hatchback of a station wagon, cradling in his arms, like a pieta, the body of a Georgian victim of the attack. And below that, we see the dead body of a physician, half-covered on the gurney on which he presumably died.

And, as if to remind us that warfare is raging elsewhere, on page A6 there is a full color photo above the fold that spans almost the entire width of the paper of Pakistani Air Force officials trying to identify the bodies of colleagues who were killed on Tuesday when their bus was bombed. Some are seen lifting the shrouds covering the charred bodies. One of which is mercilessly visible to us.

Enough, I know the Hampton Jitney is waiting and I have to gas up for the weekend. But, unfortunately, there is yet more.

This time, though, without photos. Just a stark list of four names, below the fold on the lower left-hand corner of page A8. In 8-point type we learn that John Mattox, 23, of Dangerfield, Texas and Kenneth Gibson, 25 of Christianburg, Virginia and Adam McKiski, 21 of Cherry Valley, Illinois and Stewart Trejo, 23 of Whitefish, Montana were also killed on Tuesday.

John Maddox in Afghanistan; the other three soldiers in Iraq.

There are no photos of their bodies. Nor of them while they were alive. Just the nearly invisible list. It makes them easier to ignore.

I’ll try to enjoy me weekend and hope you do as well.