Bob CollinsWhen John Tobiason of Hayfield, Minn., was killed in Iraq last week, his friend, Bruce Tiejen, said “I listen to ABC News in the morning. There were 36 people killed over there this month. I never heard it mentioned once. It’s like it doesn’t exist anymore. It’s like if you don’t kill 10 people it’s not newsworthy.”
It’s not just 36 Americans killed last month who’ve been ignored. It’s also the dozens of Iraqis who are killed each day, too. According to the Iraq Body Count Web site, 29 were killed on the day the Tobiason family learned of John’s death. Between 77,000 and 84,000 have died in the war so far, according to IBC, which gets its numbers mostly from crosschecked media reports, and hospital or morgue figures.
Far from ignoring the numbers, one Minnesota woman, Caron Lage of St. Cloud, is trying to comprehend — and honor — them. She’s doing it the only way she knows how: with a needle and thread.
Three-minute Tales will profile Minnesotans who intersect with the news in some fashion, usually in the course of an average day’s activities. Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Drop me a line.
