Iraq Names Project

LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
edited June 2007 in Strut Central
I have not been on soulstrut much lately because I have been helping to chalk or writing the blog

  Comments


  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    props dude.

    I was at a Craft Fair this weekend. 100 different vendors all making really cool and creative stuff THAT I DID NOT FUCKING NEED. Quirky stuffed animals, quirky t-shirts, quirky prints, quirky egg cups THAT I DID NOT NEED. The whole time I walked around I could not help thinking that here was a lot of creative, intelligent expression that was being totally wasted as the country slowly continues its march towards total incompetence.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts


    Props to Dr Wu for coming down to help chalk this morning.



    By the way all the names are drawn freehand. Many people assume Nancy uses stencils, but no.

    Joshua Knowles was 23 when he died. He was from Sheffield, Iowa. He once ate 64 ounces of katchup in 2 days with potato chips. He signed letters to his parents and 2 sisters "Peace from the Middle East".

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    Dan thanks for doing this. I have to say that I nearly cried several times. Seeing all those names stretching across our city is to heavy for words. It was nice to hear so many people say "thank you" this morning.

    That font that Nancy has created for the project is so beautiful. I suggested that she name it "honor the fallen". I really think that she should try to get it licensed and use the proceeds to help fund the project. If any strutters know anything about the font business, please let me know.

    I spoke with Tess today and she is ready to connect you with the head of social justice at first church. With 6,000 liberals in town for the week, it seems like this could be a very fruitful connection/collaboration. She mentioned that there is going to be a large outdoor gathering on Saturday at the convention center. You might check into that.

    After soccer with my daughter, my neighbor and her son, we went down to the esplanade to look at "daddy's special art project" as Kathe calls it. My neighbor, who is an Iraqi Jew, said something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I was explaining the process and, out of the blue, she said, "It will be great when we start writing all the names of the Iraqis who have died." Can you imagine that a project like that? It would have to be a global effort. Incredible.

    Peace,
    Jason

  • CousinLarryCousinLarry 4,618 Posts
    Great project. A lot of times people don't see the scale of death until after the war, when a monument is built.

  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,390 Posts
    I have to say that I nearly cried several times.

    hahaha

    Dolo.

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    I hope I do't come off ignorant, but I really don't understand what the Iraq Names project is, is it a tribute to those who have fallen?

    Is there a description of the project written somewhere that I can read?

    It seems to be a good thing, one that I would like to cheer on. My best friend since childhood got caught up in a lot of bad things over the last couple of years and decided to join the navy in order to help get his life straight. He's being shipped to either the Persian Gulf or Gitmo in a few weeks and I worry about him constantly. God bless anyone who keeps these troops in there better thoughts

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    check the first post for the link.

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    I hope I do't come off ignorant, but I really don't understand what the Iraq Names project is, is it a tribute to those who have fallen?

    Is there a description of the project written somewhere that I can read?

    It seems to be a good thing, one that I would like to cheer on. My best friend since childhood got caught up in a lot of bad things over the last couple of years and decided to join the navy in order to help get his life straight. He's being shipped to either the Persian Gulf or Gitmo in a few weeks and I worry about him constantly. God bless anyone who keeps these troops in there better thoughts

    Names Project: support the troops after they're dead.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    There is nothing you can say that can get me to rise to your bait.

    Peace.

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    check the first post for the link.

    Thanks, I just caught that.

    great job by you, Dan, and everyone else involved

  • Mike_BellMike_Bell 5,736 Posts
    I hope I do't come off ignorant, but I really don't understand what the Iraq Names project is, is it a tribute to those who have fallen?

    Is there a description of the project written somewhere that I can read?

    It seems to be a good thing, one that I would like to cheer on. My best friend since childhood got caught up in a lot of bad things over the last couple of years and decided to join the navy in order to help get his life straight. He's being shipped to either the Persian Gulf or Gitmo in a few weeks and I worry about him constantly. God bless anyone who keeps these troops in there better thoughts

    Names Project: support the troops after they're dead.
    How do you support troops, sabadabada?

  • JustAliceJustAlice 1,308 Posts
    "It will be great when we start writing all the names of the Iraqis who have died." Can you imagine that a project like that? It would have to be a global effort. Incredible.


    Damn.


    That doesn't really leave much left to say, does it?


    Dan, Is this project getting any press, local or national?

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    I hope I do't come off ignorant, but I really don't understand what the Iraq Names project is, is it a tribute to those who have fallen?

    Is there a description of the project written somewhere that I can read?

    It seems to be a good thing, one that I would like to cheer on. My best friend since childhood got caught up in a lot of bad things over the last couple of years and decided to join the navy in order to help get his life straight. He's being shipped to either the Persian Gulf or Gitmo in a few weeks and I worry about him constantly. God bless anyone who keeps these troops in there better thoughts

    http://iraqnamesproject.wordpress.com/about/

    http://iraqnamesproject.wordpress.com/

    Let us know if your buddy needs music or anything we can do for him. A Pentagon official just testified that they may be using Navy in a more expanded role in Iraq because the regular Army has been stretched past breaking. So I wish your buddy all the best and thank him for his service.

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    I hope I do't come off ignorant, but I really don't understand what the Iraq Names project is, is it a tribute to those who have fallen?

    Is there a description of the project written somewhere that I can read?

    It seems to be a good thing, one that I would like to cheer on. My best friend since childhood got caught up in a lot of bad things over the last couple of years and decided to join the navy in order to help get his life straight. He's being shipped to either the Persian Gulf or Gitmo in a few weeks and I worry about him constantly. God bless anyone who keeps these troops in there better thoughts

    http://iraqnamesproject.wordpress.com/about/

    http://iraqnamesproject.wordpress.com/

    Let us know if your buddy needs music or anything we can do for him. A Pentagon official just testified that they may be using Navy in a more expanded role in Iraq because the regular Army has been stretched past breaking. So I wish your buddy all the best and thank him for his service.

    actually music is the thing he asks for the most. I don't have the curent address of where he's stationed but I'll ask his brother later on today.

    Throughout the 90's we would spend many a weekend night together just chilling out listenign to the wake up show, he is a big fan of mid 90's hip-hop. His favorite artists are DJ Premier (MOP, Freddy Foxxx, etc), Ice Cube, KRS-One, Rakim and others that are similar.

    I'll post his address up here if anyone wants to help donate some music to him later on today or tomorrow

  • jleejlee 1,539 Posts
    Names Project: support the troops after they're dead.

    As opposed to waiting 10+ years for Washington DC to allocate land so a memorial can be raised on the National Mall?

    Am i to understand that you have a problem with memorials? No, i am sure your issue is that any such act during a war can only be seen as politicizing a spectacle. I am sure you see it as unfathomable that any person would just want to honor those who are dead and[/b] bring attention to an issue that has affected thousands of families.

    How is this any different than the millions of "i support the troops" stickers on the backs of cars in this country? Yes...you may very well be making a political statement, but guess what....it's possible you can actually mean "i support the troops" too.

    I think the idea that you can only honor persons if you devoid yourself totally of your ideals is absurd.



    anyway....sorry for taking the bait. props to those who are contributing to this project.

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    it's possible you can actually mean "i support the troops" too.

    From the website: "When our government invades countries by choice not need, when they kidnap people off the streets and send them to be tortured, when they hold people in prison without charges it is us doing these things. We all have sinned. So Nancy does penance."

    Who does that speaker think is actually doing the "invading," the "kidnapping" and the "torturing." Not our senators and congressman or some abstract "government?" By implication it has to be the soldiers.

  • JustAliceJustAlice 1,308 Posts
    Actually, the blood is on the hands of all the dumb fucks who voted THEM into office.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts


    Names Project: support the troops after they're dead.
    How do you support troops, sabadabada?

    As a society we do a piss poor job. From the ridicules use of Reserves and Nation Guard on the front lines to the illegal use of women on the front lines to the use of army engineers and other support troops on the front lines. Then when they die the support-the-troops crowd treats them and their families like lepers.

    Here is how we have chosen as a society to support veterans:

    23% of homeless population are veterans. 33% of male homeless population are veterans.

    Here are some more #s I have found:

    23% of the homeless are veterans.

    33% of the male homeless population are veterans.

    The VA estimates that nationally, almost 300,000 vets are homeless on any given night.

    500,000 - 900,000 will experience homelessness over the course of the year.

    There are almost 8,500 homeless vets in Oregon.

    Yesterday I was talking to the people at central city concern who work to get housing and jobs for homeless veterans. They say there are lots of good programs, but there just are not enough beds and jobs in those programs for all the homeless veterans. The VA has great drug and alcohol treatment programs that most any vet can get into. Sadly the treatment programs don't include beds.

    They said this VA program is real good. Again there just in not enough money to serve every vet in need. http://www.visn20.med.va.gov/portland/MC/CRS/Index.asp

    I can assure Saba, doing this we have met a great many vets, successful and homeless, who appreciate that someone is remembering them and their friends.

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts
    Out of respect for Dan and Nancy, I politely ask that Strutters no respond to Sabababa's comments in this thread. I can think of nothing less productive or distasteful than a pissing match over the names of fallen Americans.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    "It will be great when we start writing all the names of the Iraqis who have died." Can you imagine that a project like that? It would have to be a global effort. Incredible.


    Damn.


    That doesn't really leave much left to say, does it?


    Dan, Is this project getting any press, local or national?

    KGW did a story on Memorial Day. Every one who saw it said it was real good. I have not seen it. They want to sell it to me for $50. The Oregonian ran a real nice article that week and some radio stations talked to Nancy, but I don't know what they did with the tapes.

    I will send out some national press releases soon.

    The nice thing is hundreds of blogs from Paris to Tokyo are talking about it. A lot of downtown people have seen it and know.

  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    Out of respect for Dan and Nancy, I politely ask that Strutters no respond to Sabababa's comments in this thread. I can think of nothing less productive or distatesteful than a pissing match over the names of fallen Americans.

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    Out of respect for Dan and Nancy, I politely ask that Strutters no respond to Sabababa's comments in this thread. I can think of nothing less productive or distatesteful than a pissing match over the names of fallen Americans.

    but i wholeheartedly support the leader of the senate calling the highest ranking living[/b] soldier "incompetent" and basically accusing him of lying about the progress of the war as being in the utmost good taste.


    thank you,

    the management.



    P.S. why not just ban me again if you dont like what I'm saying?


  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    Are you guys spraying any type of temporary sealer on the chalk? Doesn't the rain just wash it off? Serious question.




    I think it's good you guys are doing this.

  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    As you can see I have done a poor job of keeping the blog up to date.

    Nancy on the other hand has been out ever Sunday when it is not raining too hard.
    She has about 42 more names to go.
    Hopefully no more coalition soldiers will die.
    The last name may coincide with Memorial Day.

    No sealer, the rain washes it off.
    In the summer a few years ago when she was writing names every day the names would stretch for blocks.

    I do keep the flickr page fairly up to date.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/iraqnamesproject/
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