As of last Sunday, U.S. armed forces have been in Iraq for three years. Media coverage of the war is still present, but the war, itself - for many without loved ones in the military or international press - has become just another part of the everyday drone, understandably. Almost 20,000 American military casualties have been documented, 2,310 of which have been deaths. In all honesty though, how many pictures and segments can Americans take in before the significance of each war story is lost?
The truth is that American and Iraqi lives are still at stake and the future of Iraq is no longer entirely in its own hands. Instead, citizens of the democratic superpower, United States, now have the responsibility to be aware of policy-making and military action in Iraq - there are positive actions that can be taken despite current, negative decisions that are being made.
A study by a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health professor, estimated 100,000 excessive Iraqi deaths had happened since the initial invasion. According to the study, the average Iraqi's risk of death by violence is now 58 times higher. Most of those deaths were a result of air strikes by U.S.-led coalition forces, non-U.S. military forces aiding the invasion. A year after this survey, the greater danger for Iraqi people are insurgent attacks and the escalating civil war.
Better policy-making will positively affect Iraqi lives. Education for Peace in Iraq (EPIC) is a human rights group that supports several goals including: protection of civilian human rights; growth of Iraq's institutional capacity for security, rule of law, and ability to prevent corruption; Iraq-led reconstruction beginning with job creation to prevent the economic desperation that turns into violence; and increased political inclusion and reconciliation for all ethnic groups. As the U.S. government continues to occupy Iraq, these goals must be at the forefront of policy-making in order to foster Iraq in becoming a stable, independent state.
If liberal democracy is meant to be spread world-wide and citizens of democratic countries must use their weight to influence rules that are being made. Being informed about the War in Iraq became a responsibility of every U.S. citizen as soon as our country invaded.
Adam Patch is a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences.
