Thank you Montel Williams

As the presidential campaign heats up and the economy falters, the story of the Iraq war moves further down in the coverage of news that's fit to print. Coverage of celebrity deaths get minute by minute coveragte, but who knows the name of any soldier killed in Iraq?

My heart goes out to Heath Ledger's family on his death. No one should bury a child, no child lose their father as young Mathilda Rose has.



Montel is right about hearing about the deaths of our soldiers. For those of you who care, let's make it personal, Here are the names of the US casualties from Iraq in January 2008

NAME NOT RELEASED YET
Hostile - hostile fire - RPG attack
1st Lieutenant David E. Schultz
Hostile - hostile fire - indirect fire
Captain Michael A. Norman
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Sergeant James E. Craig
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Staff Sergeant Gary W. Jeffries
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Specialist Evan A. Marshall
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Private 1st Class Brandon A. Meyer
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Private Joshua A. R. Young
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Sergeant Mikeal W. Miller
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Major Alan G. Rogers
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Staff Sergeant Robert J. Wilson
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Private 1st Class Duncan Charles Crookston
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Sergeant Tracy Renee Birkman
Non-hostile - injury
Sergeant Michael R. Sturdivant
Non-hostile - vehicle accident
Staff Sergeant Justin R. Whiting
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Lance Corporal James M. Gluff
Hostile - hostile fire
Specialist Richard B. Burress
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Specialist Jon M. Schoolcraft III
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Private 1st Class Danny L. Kimme
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire, grenade
Private 1st Class David H. Sharrett II
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire, grenade
Specialist John P. Sigsbee
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire, grenade
Private 1st Class Keith E. Lloyd
Hostile - hostile fire - IED
Lance Corporal Curtis A. Christensen Jr.
Non-hostile
Specialist Todd E. Davis
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Staff Sergeant Sean M. Gaul
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Sergeant Christopher A. Sanders
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Sergeant 1st Class Matthew I. Pionk
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Staff Sergeant Jonathan Kilian Dozier
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Sergeant Zachary W. McBride
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack (house borne)
Sergeant David J. Hart
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Private 1st Class Ivan E. Merlo
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Private 1st Class Phillip J. Pannier
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Private 1st Class Timothy R. Hanson
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Specialist James D. Gudridge
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Private 1st Class Jason F. Lemke
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
Petty Officer 2nd Class Menelek M. Brown
Non-hostile - drowning
Major Andrew J. Olmsted
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Captain Thomas J. Casey
Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
Staff Sergeant Ryan D. Maseth
Non-hostile
Private 1st Class Joshua R. Anderson
Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack

These 40 deaths, and one in February, whose name has also not been released should news. My condolences to the families who joine me as members of this Gold Star club that none of us wants to join.

For those of you who think the surge was successful and that the war is over, know that these 40 deaths are an increase in deaths from the previous months. There has been noise from Washington recently that the reduction in troop strength may slow or even stop depending on the actiity in Iraq. Unless and until there is some political solution to provide stability in Iraq, this war will never end and our troops will never come home.

And to the Fox News news-readers in this interview with Montel Williams, shame on you. Shame on you for saying that the audience wants to hear more about celebrity deaths than those of our troops. Your industry, the media has told Americans what they want to think and feel for a long time. Celebrity news is the crack that the media, as the dealer, has fed to viewers who think if they hear it on the news that it is important. You have a responsibility as the press, and if you don't tell people the news they need to hear, that that should hear, then you don't deserve to be called journalists. Shame, shame on you!