Gaining some perspective
There have been ten American soldiers killed in Iraq in 2007. They were fully armed and trained in defending themselves and operating in acknowledged hostile territory in a country embroiled in a civil war.
There have been eight civilians killed in New Orleans in 2007. They were not at war, they were not living in a war zone.
President Bush is expected to ask for 20,000 additional troops and $1 billion in aid to save Iraq in his speech to Congress on Wednesday.
From the Times-Picayune:
The 2007 murder total continued to climb Monday to eight killings in New Orleans - an average of one murder per day - as city leaders and citizens grappled with how to stem a seemingly unstoppable wave of violence.
Over the weekend, New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Warren Riley floated the idea of imposing a citywide curfew as a way to help police control the streets. A juvenile curfew is currently in place, implemented in June after a slew of violent murders, including a quintuple killing.
But on Monday morning, Riley spoke more tentatively about the idea, saying that the concept was still in the discussion phase and that input was needed from a variety of groups, such as business leaders and community organizations. Meanwhile, Mayor Ray Nagin and the City Council were readying their own crime-fighting initiatives, with an announcement of short-term strategies expected for sometime Tuesday, according to sources at City Hall.
Get those faxes going, people and support Thursday's march.
