Ruminations on a number.

An interesting look at hitting 3000 deaths in Iraq, in Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1573263,00.html?cnn=yes

A friend -- staunchly against the war -- sent me this link and asked for my reaction. I replied that it was the same as when we lost 1000 and 2000. It's heartbreaking, especially since we have personally known more than our fair share of soldiers who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. But it's impossible to know whether the sacrifice is worth it until this thing plays out. My friend called my response a cop-out. Maybe it is. But it's also the truth. After all, how can you ever really quantify the correct amount of sacrifice for an endeavor? Whether the ends justify the means?

I wish I had a better answer. I just don't. And so I'll continue to mourn each and every one of those soldiers and pray for an outcome to the war that brings at least some satisfaction.