Why is soldiers dying such a big deal?

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sturges	well my guess is the media has kept count from the beginning at first to see how massively awesome we are by we invaded a country and only lost 50 personnel and then they just kept counting. this war will become WWIII the same way WWII was created by the finish of WWI Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

plumbjobby	When a soldier dies in a "genuine" fire fight, he becomes a statistic and maybe even be deemed a hero, its the other methods of death that become a focal point I.E "friendly fire.unsupported, and the totally unnecessary. These are the ones the public and the media find unacceptable and hence highlighted. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

3 para	i could't put it better myself.thumbs up for your quetion from me... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

absolved lemon	excellent question, you see in the heat of battle or media furore all that matters is we kill more of them than us. a "rag head" isn't human where as a serving British solider or American is of course human with a family and loving wife. the first rule of engagement is never to under estimate the "enemy". i served in east timor amongst other places as a peace keeper (spec ops) my personal kill count is 3. up close and very personal. a serving private in the American or British forces kill count is going to be way over that before they get home. we all sign on the dotted line and are just of worthy to be killed the same as an "insurgent", only difference is Iraq is a video game played on a global hi def screen, where as i got to actually smell my 'enemies" sweat. if i may quote my favourite military line: 'always with the negative waves Moriarty,always with them negative waves" Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

rowdy	We always honour our war dead "lest we forget". It's not the FACT of their dying, but rather the WAY they die. The legality or otherwise of (say) the Iraq war doesn't come into it - they're dying as heroes, so we give them special mention. If a man becomes a miner and gets killed down the pit, that's just as tragic (a miner's worth just as much as a soldier, and he may die just as heroically), but he didn't die fighting for you and me - that's the difference. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

carmen1509s	I'm sure it was a big deal in previous wars before, but media was not that big then. I'm sure people were just as unhappy about things then. People get hurt and yes, they did make the decision to join the army. But surely you would try to find someone to blame if one of your loved ones would get hurt or even worse killed. And in the end the easiest person to blame is Bush or Blair. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mums_know_best	Complex issue. But the war is over. The U.S and allies are now in the occupation stage. Hence the media feel that every Death now is an indication of not having an "Exit Strategy" that was going to work. Also information is exchanged at such a fast rate now that those who opposed the war on legal grounds feel every extra death is a waste. But to the brave lads doing the job lets hope we all support them when they return and not have a repeat of what happened to Vietnam veterans, and if they don't lets make sure we honour their sacrifice for a war that went wrong. It is not the numbers it is the sacrifice that the papers are reporting, the numbers are way to drive the point home. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

lordkelvin	You are correct... there were more deaths is single battles on single days in WWII ... these deaths in the Iraq conflict are being used as clubs, by people who couldn't care less about the death of a solder, to further their leftist agenda. Facts and real world consequences are irrelevant to them. Other deaths that don't matter are the victims of terrorist actions. And please don't try to prosecute those terrorist, because that would make you a bigot, raciest or worse. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Leogirl0804	You hit the nail on the head with the Media. They are making it a big deal because they don't like the war and in truth they don't like the military. You are absolutely correct in that the people who sign up know what they are getting into. I get so sick of people referring to our military like they are a bunch of preschool kids who were forced into something. I was certainly well aware at age 18 what I was doing. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

katrinasfather	Best question re- Iraq War iv seen yet . What a sensible over view. good on you. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

DanUK	Firstly, the UK only make about a quarter of the total troops out in Iraq so the death tol is bound to seem smaller than that of the US. The people who have lost relatives and blame the leaders is because they disagreed with the war in the first place probably even before the deaths of their loved ones. Soldiers know the risks they r not shy to them it is sad but they knew what they were signing up to.I'm sure dying for their countries was an honour to them Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

pretender59321	The main reason is that at this moment in time the quick to forget do not feel that there is a signifcant enough threat from Radical Islam to justify the deaths of our troops. If Iran were to detonate a Nuclear devise in an American or UK city, public opinion would quickly change. The Liberals in this country would be screaming that Bush should have done something to prevent it! Never mind what they said yesterday about Bush being wrong about keeping troops in Iraq! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Little Miss Muffette	"Why is soldiers dying such a big deal? " Because they are someone's Son, brother, father, uncle, mother, sister, aunt, cousin. Human nature. Ever heard of it. One death, is too many. Just because Muslims have no regard for human life , doesn't mean we have to follow suit. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

284561	Why is soldiers dying such a big deal?...Don't ask a question like this and wonder why people give you Sht.....Too a Civvy it don't mean sht, to a soldier it means one more, to his mate it means a friend... Dont take this the wrong way but.....If you aint done it don't ask....Soldiers have very little time for Civvys with Stupid Questions... Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

DnBprincess850	I agree with you. I think its sad that they die, but there are risk associated with any job. My husband is Military, so it's not like I don't feel for them, but it's life. They know it's a possibility and they still join. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

joiyuk	Seeing that you planned to join as an officer was no surprise. They have the view that soldiers dying isnt such a big deal either,so long as their safe what do they care? Soldiers die for a cause, yes they might realise they could end up in hairy situations when they join. They dont,however, want to die. They choose to put their lives on the line, I agree. But to actually die for a cause they may or may not believe in, is the ultimate sacrifice. That is why we make such a big deal out of it. I have lost 1 friend in Iraq, I have several still out there at the moment. Just because they are in the Army, it doesnt mean i think they should die. Its not the army of old, where the boys used to run over the top. This is the modern army, people dont need to die. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

johnny cee	The life of one individual is highly significant. But you're right when you imply that the media overplays this part. Remember, that, bottom line is this: THE MEDIA HATES BUSH AND WILL DO ANYTHING TO MAKE HIM LOOK BAD, ANYTHING. EVEN IF IT MEANS WE ALL HAVE TO DIE IN THE WAR AGAINST ISLAMO FASCISTS, JUST SO LONG AS BUSH LOOKS BAD. I Cr 13;8a Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Chrissy	because it sells. That really all there is to it. Tragedy, drama and blood sell to the people, and they feed off of it. Sure people feel bad, and they hate the war, but in reality there are sick people out there who actully like the fact they can oppose something that they derive entertainment from. The new is not the news anymore. Its more of a Soap Opera. People think a war should be won politically not forcefully. The "hey lets sit down and talk about this" crowd dont' understand that a time out doesn't always work and sometimes you need to whoop their asses instead. War sucks, but its war. People die, get injured and traumatized. I hate it, but sometimes its necessary. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

skip	They are doing so on this occasion because many people on both sides of the pond feel that the US and UK went into the war with less-than-pure motives. Hence, people are dying unnecessarily. This is the second time Britain has screwed up over Iraq. When we drew the middle east borders in the 1920's we could have done a much better job, don't you think? Then, if we really needed to remove a dictator we could have done it quickly, efficiently and without having to police the religious infighting that has now come to the surface. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

westtexasboy	professional -- and even most conscripted soldiers -- understand that wounds or death in the service of ones country are personal sacrifices, made on behalf of others, when they occur in an honorable cause. i am reminded of the memorials to the dead of WWI and WWII in every town and village in England. however, if the cause is deemed less than honorable -- and this is arguably the case here -- then the casualties must be accounted for on different grounds, and the media are the easiest target. the media should indeed report to us what is happening, and they should do this without political bias. i think blame would be better placed on the political leaders who drew us into the war under false pretenses. shame on them, and shame on us for not turning them out! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Paulien	i agree, the job of a soldier is to fight, protect, and if necessary give his/her life to defend their country...i have many friends in Iraq right now and they all know that it's extremely dangerous... if the media is going to give a kill count they should give a count of all the innocent people that have died in this war; at the hands of both the US and allies as well as the insurgents...the innocent people that have been killed and maned are the real victims of this war, no one else. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

slice264	My husband is a soldier and if he was to be killed it would be a big deal...Why? Because he is my husband! One of his colleagues was shot and killed last year, and that was a big deal too. And as for not wanting to sound insensitive - well, you do. The media to the families of those fighting is a hugely valuable source of information with regard to what is actually going on - so if you dont want to know, simple dont read the papers. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

?	It's a big deal because it's death dude. You can ask yourself the same question about Princess Di. and more recently Anna NIcole Smith. Why is it such a big deal that they died? Are they not people just like the rest of us? Think back further into the politics of things, main focus the war. What better way to gain the backing of the general public than to show what the enemy is doing to our soldiers. Yes, we are expected to fight and in some cases get hurt or die, but like when the rest of the world dies, wheather it be a soldier or a celebrity, it is going to be publicly shown to gain support and ratings. I mean really, is it really important that Anna Nicole Smith died? I'm sure she commited suicide with all the drugs she'd been taking. Is her death more important than world events? It sure seems like it, that is all that has been on the news. Look deeper into your question. The answer is very complicated and I can go on and on but I'm sure you are quite capable of researching. It's politics man. I'm in the military and I fight in war, so death is a big deal to me and even though there are less casualties than in previous wars know that every death is important and a big deal to someone, like my wife and two little girls. I may not ever be able to answer your question fully because of the manner in which you asked, it is derived from personal opinion and not from a factual hard statement. I personally think that they don't make a big deal at all. Have you heard lately of the war in Afghanistan? I'm sure not much, mostly Iraq on every news station. Well people are still dying in Afghanistan every day but you wont hear about that. We're better trained and technology helps in the reduction of casualties to answer the other part of your question. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mickl84	Because its an illegal war and soldiers shouldnt be there. Therefore they are been put at unnesesary risk. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Doddle	If it were your son, father, or brother I'm pretty darn sure you would come to realise what a big deal it is. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

frankturk50	I dont find your question in any way insensitive.I am an ex serviceman and served in th Gulf.On the day I went to training I went to a talk given by a flight sergeant who said it doesnt matter if you are a cook or a dust cart driver you are a part of force which one day may be called upon to deliver a nuclear bomb and if you dont like that idea get out now.I knew that I may kill or be killed but that was the job.We knew we were fighting for oil companies in the middle east but it wasnt our job to weigh the right and wrongs the enemy didnt either,you all did what you were told. By the way before the first gulf war the pentagon predicted 'acceptable'losses of 10,000 US troops so I suppose they think the losses in two wars are minimal. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

phelps	the difference here is that we are in iraq under false pretences and therefore dying for nothing. if we or americans are under threat of invasion then blood would have to be spilt in defence of the realm. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Heads up!	The Iraq war is unpopular so there is a big focus on casualty counts , it helps the medias ratings and earns them more money for advertising , thats why. The weapons of Mass destruction have never been found the main reason the war was waged. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

JohnRingold	I can see where you are going with this question and the answer is .... Sensationalism. Deaths sell Newspaper and advertising dollars/pounds . Yes Soldiers know what they are getting into when they sign up. No they didn't believe it was going to be like skydiving or snowboarding. I know that my family knew what I was getting into but that didn't stop them from worrying about me. Please remember that Soldiers (Generic term for all Service members whichever the Branch) do not have the luxury of picking or choosing which battles they will fight. Whether they believe in the war or not. They have orders that they must obey. They have all sworn an oath. Most civilians cannot understand this. Soldiers fight for their Comrades in Arms. Never belittle a Soldiers death. They have died in a most honorable way. They were fighting for a cause. Whether it was for a Nation or a Comrade they have payed the Ultimate Sacrifice and without them No One would have the right to freely disagree with what their Nation is or is not doing. Clive: British Soldiers signed up for the same reasons that American Soldiers signed up. Britain has been and shall always be America's Number 1 Ally. Hopefully the US will do the same for Britain when needed in the future. The US asked for and received Britains Support for the war in Iraq and on Terrorism. You may believe what you want but at least be true to your Nation. Your duly elected Government sent its troops to support its Ally. That is the reason that Britain is in Iraq. For whatever pretext said Ally gave, Britain supported its Ally. I personally respect the hell out of Britain, whether they thought it was right or wrong they still supported their Ally. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

SuzyBelle04	Because right now a lot of people don't support the war in Iraq, so they are going to draw as much negative attention to it as they can. The biggest thing is how they think so many soldiers have pointlessly died. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

mad	I think at the present time, sadly, because so many people feel that this war should never have happened in the first place. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No