Hi Ashley,

I'm sure your intentions are outstanding.  But the cost of this war is measured in lost lives, ruined lives, traumatic injuries, broken families and maimed children.  

Video could do much to show the true cost of war.  You assemble some facts, but if you want to convey the truth about war, you can't afford to pull punches.  Otherwise how do we really learn and understand?  You can find Iraq war vets with head injuries.  Many are open to discussing what happened to them.  Some belief the Iraq War was just, some do not.  

There is a report on the web you can look at about what has happened to some Iraqi families caught in the middle of this.  I happen to remember one boy from the early news reports of the war.  His name is Ali Ismayal.  I don't know what he is doing now but his injuries and story are part of the report.  

WARNING:  Don't click on this linked report unless you are willing to view some VERY GRAPHIC AND UPSETTING PHOTOS.  DO NOT CLICK UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN YOU ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO HANDLE IT.

So thanks for the effort but I think your video features the cost in dollars a little too much.  Money's value is in what it can buy us.  Instead of health care programs, preschooler education, education aid to Pakistan to build alternatives to madrassas, it went to war.  If you want to include monetary cost talk about that.  Or talk about how many dollars per family it costs.  That will make is sink in.

Don't get me wrong.  I think the Afghanistan war was probably necessary.  But in October of 2002 many of us knew the costs and risks of George's misadventure in Iraq were too great for the benefits he claimed it would achieve.