Orwellian Newspeak on CASUALTIES

Certain editorial page editors periodically idolize

    the British writer and author of the anti-totalitarian classic

    "1984 " . But then they themselves proceed to DOUBLE-THINK and

    use the idiotic language of NEWSPEAK as conceived by the morbidly

    honest George Orwell.

               They help the government lie about the war. For example

    the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines " casualty " as : "  a

    military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness,

    internment, or capture or through being missing in action ".

                The news media  -it seems - as re-defined " casualty ".

    We hear about DEAD, CAPTURED, MISSING IN ACTION . In any war,of course,

    there are far more WOUNDED among the various casualties.

           But the problem with the wounded is that they can still TALK.

    A wounded British soldier blamed a FRIENDLY FIRE tragedy on a stupid

    American " cowboy " bomber pilot.

            On the weekend of SHOCK & AWE I learned that my nephew,

    Christopher Covill of Coventry, Rhode Island was seriously injured

    in a combat incident. Chris was sent to a military hospital in

    Germany.

              A Providence Journal reporter ( ccrowley@projo.com ) has

    some family provided background information on Chris.

American casualties UNREPORTED !

On the weekend of SHOCK & AWE - a translation from the Prussian ? -

    I learned that my nephew, Christopher Covill of Coventry, Rhode Island,

    was seriously injured in a combat incident in Kuwait or Iraq.  Chris

    is presently in a military hospital in Germany. A Providence Journal

    reporter ( ccrowley@projo.com ) has some  family provided background

    information on Chris. The Marines have nothing to say about the matter.

            I am getting the impression that our Ministry of Truth now

    defines " casualties of war " as soldiers killed or missing in action or

    taken prisoner. In any war, of course, there are far more wounded !

         Could Chris possibly be the FIRST local boy wounded over there ?

         Or as we expected the first casualty of war is the truth ?

            I'll bet my nephew has already had enough SHOCK & AWE for a

    lifetime !

                 TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR !

Twice dead in OBITUARIES ( Smith, Constance A. )

        A most odd -if not macabre -error in your OBITUARIES for March 28.

    One Smith, Constance A. appears under the very same Smith, Constance

    A. May " Connie " rest in peace, but she enters whatever afterlife

    with a very earthy chuckle.

             While sipping on my coffee-cup emblazoned with the ominous

    Latin motto " CARPE DIEM " , I noticed the macabre double obituary.

    And reflecting all but a very few people will read my own OBIT with

    benign indifference -or an impish chuckle.

                I guess you can expect a letter like this from a guy

    who CONSOLES himself -in war time ! - reading the horror stories

    of Providence's very own H.P. Lovecraft .

              To a bored American soldier outside Baghdad -just waiting -

    I recommend his " The Rats in the Walls ". Some comic relief from

    REAL horror !

Great column today, Bob !

         Bob, if you are at all like me, then you are definitely not

    above flattery. Great column today ! And risky - Talk Radio's

    Independent Man - and his adoring fans - have all but put a bounty

    on your head. What venom -like British soccer fans !

         Sunday, I learned that my nephew, Chris Covill of Coventry, was

    seriously injured over there ( Iraq, Kuwait ? ) .  Close to home,

    indeed. Chris 's sister, Elizabeth is a graduate in journalism and

    an intern at local TV station ( I think Channel 10 ) .

               Why is the press not giving out the names of the wounded

    in action soldiers after their families have been notified ?

                Perhaps GI Chris was lucky - missing the equivalent of

    the Battle of Stalingrad - central Baghdad.

          A PROJO reporter is interested in his story. But my brother in

    law is very " private " to say the least. He livens up around Super

    Bowl time. But then if I had Chris for a son ......enough gossip for

    now !