Suffering of Iraqis remembered
Display marks the thousands of civilian deaths
By Hector Gutierrez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Published March 25, 2008 at 12:30 a.m.
Javier Manzano / The Rocky
Three-year-old Avery Bolin looks at dozens of pairs of shoes scattered in the courtyard between Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum on Monday in an exhibit to represent the large number of civilians killed in the Iraq War.
As the U.S. paid tribute to the 4,000 soldiers who have died in the Iraq war, a group of about 50 people gathered downtown Monday night to remind Americans that thousands of Iraqi civilians also have died in the conflict.
The American Friends Service Committee displayed 54 pairs of black combat boots to represent soldiers from Colorado who lost their lives in the Iraq War.
The vigil was held between the Denver Art Museum and the Denver Public Library.
Alongside the boots stood more than 230 pairs of children's and adult sandals, sneakers, slippers, dress shoes, women's high heels and football cleats representing Iraqi civilians who have died.
Attached to most of the shoes were the identities of those killed.
Tiny sandals represented an 11-month-old Iraqi child who was presumed killed in violence during the past five years.
A child's slippers belonging to a "sixth family member killed" were featured.
A pair of sneakers represented a 35-year-old Iraqi man.
American Friends, a Quaker organization that supports the immediate withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, documented the names and ages of American and Iraqi victims during the early part of the war when some of its members were still in the country trying to account for casualties, said Sarah Gill, a committee spokeswoman.
American Friends members no longer are in Iraq because it became too dangerous.
"This is a way not to forget anybody," Gill said.
"If we had a way to say this is the one-millionth Iraqi death we would commemorate that. As such we believe that there's God in everyone so no matter who you are - a U.S. soldier, an Iraqi - we're going to commemorate you because there was some part of God in you."
Organizers gathered in a circle and read the names that were identified and tied to the shoes. Participants then punctuated each name with, "Give us peace."
Carol Oyler brought her 6-year-old son, William Rivera, to the exhibit. "I'm here with William because he's getting to the age where he's beginning to understand," said Oyler.
William said he was overwhelmed that a few of the shoes symbolized children who were about his age.
"I felt really sorry for them," he said.
Vrenda Noel said the war has been costly and has had wide-ranging consequences. Her 26-year-old son, Eli, who served as a medic in Ramadi for a year, is suffering from severe post-traumatic stress syndrome.
At Monday's vigil Noel wore camouflage pants with a peace patch on the left pant leg.
"It's kind of juxtaposed, isn't it?" Noel, who is a member of Military Families Speaking Out, said of her attire. "It's taking something that normally stands for war and putting it to peaceful use."
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March 25, 2008
8:21 p.m.
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CosmicSurfer writes:
Thank you to the Friends for offering this evening.
And Thank You RMN for FINALLY starting to give the events the publicity they deserve....It has taken 5 years but you FINALLY are starting to get information out there for the public to see, learn and become a part. There is life in Denver beyond Broncos, Avs and Rockies.