Financial Crisis bad, War in Iraq worse

While this whole financial fiasco plays itself out and continues to be covered by establishment media outlets and the blogosphere at large, I think its worth reminding everyone that equally pressing matters are happening elsewhere. And by elsewhere I mean Iraq.

More specifically there is news today that a battalion of local Indiana National Guardsman may have been exposed to the hazardous chemical, sodium dichromate, a poisonous toxin made famous in the movie Erin Brokovich.

The Indiana troops were guarding an Iraqi water plant and were told the orange, sand-like dust spread throughout the facility was a mild irritant. It was later revealed to be the toxic compound that poisoned more than 600 people in California, the incident depicted in the movie, Erin Brockovich.

They were told the substance was merely a mild irritant? Am I the only one outraged by this? Well it seems at least one other person shares my concern, because in a move that should be commended, Senator Evan Bayh has requested the Army investigate the entire exposure incident.

Why is this story not garnering more attention statewide? Crimey, when a similar occurrence happened in California it got such widespread attention that a movie was eventually made about it. Are we so driven by money that this whole financial shitstorm has made us forget about a War that, frankly should be front and center of any political debate at present? Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to callously overlook all that is happening on Wall Street, but I'll be damned if I just sit around and watch as it consumes every news cycle-- effectively pushing the War in Iraq to the shadows of public discourse.

These are our Guardsman. We owe them more than that.