Three hours and five minutes

On April 30th, 2004, Ted Koppel did something so unusual and radical that several stations refused to broadcast his show, Nightline.  Instead of the normal format of a hard-hitting late night news program, Koppel dedicated the entire show to the fallen soldiers in the Iraq war.  He read the name of each of the 721 soldiers killed, while displaying a picture and information about each soldier.  The show had to be extended from its usual thirty-minute time slot to 40 minutes in order to fit the names of all of the soldiers in the broadcast, for an average of 18 names per minute.

As of today, there are 3,320 confirmed US casualties in Iraq, and almost eight times as many wounded.  It would take over three hours just to read off the names of the dead.

April 30th 2007 is just around the corner. Ted Koppel no longer hosts Nightline.  Rich Little performed at the White House Correspondents Dinner.    Katie Couric is the host of the CBS Evening News.  And we still have yet to see a single coffin of a fallen soldier on the news.

When they erect the Iraq War Memorial in 15 or 20 years, what will be the number that they place on the site?  5,000?  10,000?  20,000?  60,000?  Thats a lot of airtime, I wonder if any of the networks will read off the names then...

•  I don't know what made me think of that

  yet another reflective moment...

  by concordepa on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 03:46:47 PM PDT

•  The Iraq War Memorial

  It was the Vietnam Veterans that raised the money for and had their memorial built. It was an uphill battle most of the way to get it done.

  I sincerely hope that the memorial for the fallen in Iraq will have a lot less names on it that the Vietnam Memorial.  I also hope that All of America demands and pays for a memorial.

  Lest we forget...the fallen and the criminals in our government who sacrificed them to line their own pockets.

  by trinityfly on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 03:55:50 PM PDT

  •  How 'bout statue Bush/Cheney w/ names on it

    Names written on the statue of Bush and Cheney. Oh heck, let's add Rumsefeld to the grouping. Well, and Wolfowitz. Maybe a few others.

    I think this would be fitting. Make it 3-dimensional, so you could circle them, reading more names, on all parts of the statue.

    You would go look for your soldier, say, on Cheney's right hand.

    by AllisonInSeattle on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 08:04:16 PM PDT

•  Eloquent! n/t

  by pfiore8 on Mon Apr 23, 2007 at 05:57:57 PM PDT

•  a pootie for gchaucer2 :)

  oy! that diary was giving me a headache .. thanks for your support :) meow!

  by PhillyGal on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 04:18:11 PM PDT

  •  THANK YOU!

    You know, this picture captures most of my day.  This is the sweetest post I can imagine and what a great pootie.  Mine does not tolerate the camera -- she's Emily Dickenson but might as well be Greta Garbo -- who is probably ED's next life anyway.

    Cheers and happy thoughts to you PhillyGal.  And apologies, I think I referred to you as "PhillyGirl" in a post to Carl.  Not offense intended -- just a second glass of Shiraz.

    Here's to pooties everywhere.

    by gchaucer2 on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 04:29:53 PM PDT

  •  Very clever, PhillyGal

    attaching your sweet pootie to an oldish diary.  Thanks again and I really do look for your posts and pictures.

    I have no clue at all where you stand in the Israel debate -- and it wouldn't make a difference since I think all voices should be heard.  I'm a classic white American Catholic female and always long for a world view.

    Hug your kitties.  I'm going to go hug bitchy Emily and hope she doesn't scratch me.  See you in the posts.  Peace.

    by gchaucer2 on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 04:34:11 PM PDT

  •  Not sure if you will

    be back here, but have tried to uprate you as I think the TRs are out of control on the last diary.  I think even NV thought so.  I'm putting you on my check list so I can rec you even if I don't read the diary.  

    Maybe it is because I have a strident streak which sets people off, but I think there should be room to say things without getting attacked.  I've seen pretty nasty stuff here and I just move along unless someone is a racist horse's ass.

    Thanks again for all the pictures.

    by gchaucer2 on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 04:42:08 PM PDT

    •  don't worry about it, really .. I don't!

      the boys got a little excited, that's all --- and you're very welcome for the pootie pics -- they make me happy, and I'm glad to share with others :)

      by PhillyGal on Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 04:50:07 PM PDT