Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead

Ding Dong! The Witch is dead.
Which old Witch?
The Wicked Witch!
Ding Dong!
The Wicked Witch is dead.
Wake up - sleepy head,
rub your eyes, get out of bed.
Wake up, the Wicked Witch is dead.

Yes, it may sound a bit odd, but this image was the first thing I thought of when I caught the news this morning. Both online and on the television, people are jumping up and down for joy that the infamous Osama Bin Laden had been killed in Pakistan. While I am glad that he has been found and some sort of justice served, I pause to think about all who paid the ultimate price during the last 10 years. I am, of course, talking about the brave men and women of the coalition forces, but I also want to give you a few more numbers to ponder. Do with them what you will. Just food for thought.

• Sept 11, 2001. American civilians killed Approx: 3,000
• Oct 2001 to April 2011. US and coalition forces killed in Afghanistan: 2,340
• 2001 to 2009. Lowest estimated number of Afghan civilians (not counting insurgents) killed as a direct result of US and coalition actions: 5,664

The last number is a compilation I have made from the lowest year by year numbers that I have found by various independent watch groups. The actual civilian death toll in Afghanistan is likely to be astronomically higher if and when official reports are ever released.

So, for now, let´s just revel in the moment that one more evil man in the world is dead. Yes, he was a particularly evil man, but lets not forget all the innocent lives lost in the process on all sides. War is, after all, a terrible thing, but deemed necessary by the ¨powers that be¨ on occasion. Some will chalk it up to the old slogan of ¨Sh!t Happens¨, but it´s far from over yet.

Lets sing along shall we?

She's gone where the goblins go,
Below - below - below. Yo-ho
Let's open up and sing and ring the bells out.
Ding Dong' the merry-oh, sing it high, sing it low.
Let them know
The Wicked Witch is dead!