“Life in Hell: A Baghdad Diary” is an article written by Aparism Ghosh, a war-time reporter with Time Magazine, about his experience in and around the Iraqi capital. It was written in the summer of 2006 at a time when Iraqi militia insurgence was on the incline and the conflict in Iraq was looking particularly hopeless, with no end in sight. Ghosh captures the true horror of everyday life in Baghdad and displays both sides of the story. He gives the reader perspective from both the Sunni and Shi’ite line of thought, and most importantly, he gives the war a face. He makes the casualty count personal and a lot more difficult to ignore. Meaningless numbers all of a sudden had a face, a voice, a name.
I cannot gauge society’s reaction to this article; however, I can tell you that in my family and social circle the reaction to this piece was utter horror. The reality and terror of war was presented before us and we could no longer claim ignorance as an excuse for apathy or inaction. I remember feeling a wave of nausea roll over me as I realized I was powerless to change it. How does an ordinary citizen stop a war?
My heart aches for the families who have suffered loss as a result of this conflict. While we can estimate the total cost of this war in terms of dollars, we cannot place a value on a human life. The latter is a debt of war that can never be repaid. I no longer think of the debt in terms of dollars, I think of it in terms of children who have lost a father, wives who have lost a husband, parents who have lost a child, families who are struggling to put food on the table. How many parents lie awake at night and worry about their children’s safety? How many children lie awake at night and worry about their future? Will they go to school? Will they be able to get a job? Will they ever have a family? Will they survive the next day? These were the thoughts and emotions evoked in me, and that is why I chose this article.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223363,00.html
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