The detritus of lives extinguished
Wednesday, 31 May 2006 | 154 readers so far
As I was making my rounds today carrying out the mundane but highly technical tasks of a REMF, I chanced upon the camera gear that represents a physical connection to the last few moments of the lives of Paul Douglas and James Brolan. Their shattered equipment, which they used to record and report events in Iraq, lay broken and twisted on the floor, covered in specks of blood and pierced in various places by the shrapnel that always accompanies an IED’s concussive force in the milliseconds after the triggerman sets it off.
I do not know what ran through their minds in their last moments on this earth, but I hope they found comfort in whatever faiths they may have practiced. Death hasn’t touched me much on this deployment. The deaths of these two men did, because I had shared the same air they breathed on more than one occasion. They were observers, not combatants. They were human beings who hoped for better days for the nation and people of Iraq. They did not deserve to die.
If anything their murder hardens my resolve to support the continuation of the imperfect process that is underway here in the Middle East. The beliefs of fundamentalist fanatics willing to kill anyone by any means to achieve their personal goals and visions cannot be tolerated. I am not responsible for the turmoil that is brewing in the minds of murderers like Osama bin Laden and Musab al-Zarqawi. I only truly began to pay attention to men like them on September 11, 2001. Prior to that day, fundamentalist religious fanatics had only touched on my life in theoretical, distant ways. They were people I despised from afar but had little interest in because in my naiveté I thought they could not touch my life. On September 11, 2001 my aloof interest in religiously motivated fanaticism became much more personal, and has only grown more so as time passes and atrocities continue to be carried out.
I would rather die than submit to the type of men who are willing to kill indiscriminately to wield power, especially in the name of a higher being. How dare they tell me who God is and what God demands from me! No matter who they are or what arguments they attempt to use to justify their evil, they are wrong and must be fought. A life lived without moral boundaries is a life that burns through the lives around it like acid. These barbarians must be held back, corralled and subdued, no matter the cost. The alternative will only mean more shattered detritus speckled with blood reminding us of faces that will smile and laugh no more on this Earth.
1 June 1st, 2006 at 6:14 am
rachel says:
Trevor,
Thank you.
I’m a bit at a loss for words right now so this will have to suffice for now.
-rachel
2 June 1st, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Mudville Gazette says:
Dawn Patrol…
Welcome to the Dawn Patrol, our daily roundup of information on the War on Terror and other topics - from the MilBlogs, other blogs, and the mainstream media. If you’re a blogger, you can join the conversation. If you link……
3 June 1st, 2006 at 8:29 pm
TBIRD says:
GREAT POST
GREAT INSIGHT
GREAT USE OF THE LANGUAGE
WOULD SAY YOU SHOULD BE WRITING FOR A MAJOR NEWS ORGANIZATION BUT YOU SPEAK THE TRUTH. THEY CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
4 June 1st, 2006 at 8:44 pm
SFC D says:
Great post. I’m new to reading your blog but I’ll definitely be reading it regularly. Thanks for cutting through all the BS
5 June 1st, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Dadmanly says:
Trevor,
Excellent post, excellent observations, great writing. Intend to link shortly, and added you to the blogroll.
(I knew you had to be good, you’re on Milblogs!)
6 June 1st, 2006 at 10:22 pm
Steve says:
The marines have now confirmed by their actions that they are no different from the NAZI SS. Murdering children and women, these are some sick puppies. Takes a lot of courage to shoot unarmed kids. How sick. Just like their SS friends, they lie about their atrocities. The marines have stained America with their horrible murder spree and cover up.
7 June 1st, 2006 at 10:34 pm
Dadmanly says:
Detritus…
Trevor at A Will to Exist came into contact with detritus of lives extinguished. Trevor offers some solemn observations, and ends his remarkable reflection with what could be a Charter for those who will to fight terror in all its forms….
8 June 1st, 2006 at 10:45 pm
The Thunder Run says:
A Must Read from Iraq….
Trevor at Will To Exist writes this excellent post about the aftermath of the murders of CBS News cameraman and soundman Paul Douglas and James Brolan, it is a must read….
9 June 2nd, 2006 at 8:06 am
Trevor says:
Steve,
This post wasn’t about Marines. I realize it’s hot in south Phoenix and your brain has probably been cooking. Try to come in from the sun once in a while. That way, maybe you will be able to stay focused and limit your comments to the topics at hand.
If you find a post here about a Marine endorsed program to build gas chambers so they can wipe out all Arabs, that would be the appropriate time to launch a rant about how the Marines are like the SS, Steve.
Remember, stay out of sun, limit your alcohol intake, and focus on breathing. Using these simple steps, you too can become rational. Oh, and wipe the spittle off your shirt. It sprayed a little while you were raving.
10 June 2nd, 2006 at 6:20 pm
Sssteve says:
Tevor,
found your site through Rachel above! Great post! And great insight! I loved it! Be back again to read more!!