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4/24/2007 10:15:00 PM Eyes Wide Open Ohio, the state version of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)-sponsored exhibit on the human cost of the Iraq War, came to the front lawn of First Universalist Church in New Madison on Sunday. The exhibit has been touring rural and suburban Ohio since August 2005. According to AFSC, the purpose of the exhibit is to put human faces on the casualty figures stated in the news. Combat boots are displayed in neat rows, some old and worn, others barely broken-in. Each pair is tagged with the name and picture of one of the 158 Ohioans killed in the Iraq War so far, including a soldier who committed suicide shortly after returning from Iraq. There is also a pair of boots, along with an 8x10 picture of Private First Class Matthew Maupin of Batavia, Ohio, officially listed as "Missing in Action." A green blanket with 1,580 red poppies sewn into a map of Ohio commemorates Ohioans wounded in the war. According to AFSC, that number is based on the national average of ten wounded for every soldier killed since the start of the war as recorded on iCasualties.org. AFSC states that it is virtually impossible to obtain the exact number of wounded servicemen and women from the Department of Defense. "There are also some discrepancies in numbers due to military families relocating so often," a church member explained. "There are Ohio natives who are actually listed as part of other states' casualties." Next to the boots are approximately 100 pairs of tennis shoes, fashionable ladies' shoes and baby shoes, all paying tribute to Iraqi civilians killed in the conflict. Each pair represents 1,000 Iraqis. Various studies have estimated the number of civilians killed since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003 from 45,000 to 655,000. In addition to the display, visitors have the opportunity to look through a large binder containing more detailed information on the soldiers killed. There is also a guest book for recording thoughts and reactions to the exhibit. According to the handwritten notes, the majority of visitors found the exhibit to be extremely moving. "This is a senseless war. The President, who says he is a Christian, should be ashamed. Jesus would not like this war," one person had written. Eyes Wide Open Ohio will continue to travel Northeast Ohio in June and August. To learn more about the exhibit, visit http://www.afsc.net/ewoohio.html. Tammy Obeidallah is a staff writer for the Daily Advocate. She can be reached at editor@dailyadvocate.com.
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2007 Northeast Ohio American Friends Service Committee |