Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

Three days ago, the death toll of American soldiers in Iraq passed the one thousand mark, and it makes me sad. It also makes me fearful.

About two months ago I read an editorial written by a retired Army general regarding the death toll in our most current war. He hypothesized that when the death toll reached one thousand, there would be an added rationale for staying in Iraq.

According to this general (whose name I cannot remember) the rationale is this: One thousand military personnel have given their lives for the cause, so we must stay in Iraq to honor their sacrifice. We cannot withdraw.

I’m not sure the general writing the editorial agreed; he was merely pointing out the probability of a course of action. However, I do believe the present administration buys the premise wholeheartedly, because it wants to justify its own course of action to date.

Yet, the backstory is this: If we stay to honor those original one thousand deaths, surely another one thousand might die, depending on the length of time of our occupation. How can the deaths of more soldiers honor those who gave their lives in the first place? At what point do we say, enough? Soldiers dying to exonerate soldiers who have already died doesn’t make any sense to me.