Home > Blog > View

worse than death?

6/10/2004 9:27:56 AM PT   comments [20]

So this past weekend my regional paper (the Reading Eagle) had a front-page story about a local navy guy who was horribly wounded in Iraq. This guy is a military carpenter (a reservist to boot), and somehow wound up driving an ammunition truck in an Iraqi hotspot [I'll spare you all a diatribe regarding Donald Rumsfeld et al and the lack of proper planning for the war]. Actually speaking of Donald Rumsfeld, two weeks ago I was watching Cape Fear (the Dinero version), and goddamn, in that movie Nick Nolte looks exactly like Donald Rumsfeld. Click here to see a photo of what I'm talking about.

So anyway, this carpenter is driving an ammunition truck and the truck gets attacked. His leg is blown off and a piece of shrapnel severs his spinal cord in his neck area. His comrades thought he had perished, but it turns out he survived. Unfortunately, he is paralyzed from the ears down. He can see and hear, but that's it. He can't even move his mouth. So essentially he's currently in the hospital lying flat on his back, with his eyes open. He's 37 years-old and married with two kids. He won't be able to do anything but look around for the remainder of his "life." He can only communicate by blinking his eyes, which obviously takes forever, even for the most simple of communication. How fucking depressing.

So after reading this article I'm trying to imagine living like that, and I can't. I would honestly rather be dead I think. Hopefully this guy will find away to find some enjoyment out of life. But I don't think I'd be able to do it. How many blinks does it take to say "shoot me in the head please"?

Comments
gaydough head_   posted 6/10/2004 9:31:30 AM
erwhuntle sucks
report abuse
jesuschristsuperstar_   posted 6/10/2004 9:34:34 AM
reminds me of the 'one' video
report abuse
john_doe_   posted 6/10/2004 9:35:21 AM
first, nolte really does like rumsfeld there.

second, that dude should listen to all his favorite music, and view mass quantities of porn. of course, this could all backfire since he can't feel his pecker, and he may just hate life even more because he can't get bust a nut.
report abuse
the pancake man_   posted 6/10/2004 9:40:31 AM
jesus....

and yes, "one" immediately popped into my head too.... "I cannot live, I cannot die, trapped in myself, body my holding ceeeeelllllll!"

I'd definitely want out, no vegetable state for me please
report abuse
erwhuntle_   posted 6/10/2004 9:52:54 AM
god this sucks ass
report abuse
erwhuntle_   posted 6/10/2004 10:07:51 AM
hey, god damn it. what the fuck, that wasn't me. i appreciate these blogs.
report abuse
CHUMPZ0R_   posted 6/10/2004 10:20:41 AM
Barbaro-oooooooooooo! *whipcrack* Yah!
report abuse
bernie_   posted 6/10/2004 10:40:14 AM
dann that got me down. a good friend of mine is going to be in iraq in he winter. i'm scared.
report abuse
renegade_   posted 6/10/2004 11:32:42 AM
That scenario reminds me a lot of "Johnny Got His Gun" by Dalton Trumbo, the novel that "One" was based off of. The guy doesn't have any limbs and he doesn't have any of his senses. All he can do is lay in what he presumes is a hospital bed and think. Definitely worse than death.
report abuse
bastardmaker_   posted 6/10/2004 2:29:11 PM
having just got back from iraq, i wish that more stuff like this was made public. i never saw anyone that messed up (other than dead) id rather be dead. but people(who vote) need to know more about whats going on over there. its not all bad but its not all good either
report abuse
hass_   posted 6/11/2004 12:55:32 AM
i really couldn't imagine living like that also, that's probably the worst way anyone can live, well maybe not THE worst, but it's up there. crazy shit.
report abuse
George W Bush_   posted 6/11/2004 2:49:53 PM
Can anyone say spring draft? Theres more vegetables where that came from! look at this shit, and vote for me, young cannonfodder:
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=5834001&content_dir=ua_congressorg
report abuse
Kevin_Lovelost_   posted 6/12/2004 2:21:17 AM
as sucky as it sounds, i bet dude is stoked just to be able to go home and see his wife and kids again
report abuse
anonymous   posted 6/12/2004 4:14:56 AM
- do NOT engage in terroristic threats
report abuse
nohaha_   posted 6/12/2004 10:49:39 PM
wow, i was having a pretty good day...before i read that. How unfortunate all of this is, just think that 2 years ago he was just a guy making a living. more people should know about this shit so maybe they wont take so much for granted.
report abuse
dead GRAVITI_   posted 6/13/2004 1:47:00 AM
I hope he knows morse code.
report abuse
no_cool_names_left_   posted 6/13/2004 10:36:57 AM
I've engaged in this argument before, usually to much disagreement. I am under the belief that the way in which our society attempts to let every human, regardless of how fucked up they are, live. There are cases such as this, and one which some board members may remember as the frog girl (who, along with several other problems, was not able to swallow due to severe retardation) who nature simply did not intend to continue living. Some people simply do not need to be alive. I suppose this cu
report abuse
InTheEyesofGod_   posted 6/13/2004 6:23:13 PM
i'd eat a lot of drugs, good ones.
report abuse
portal_   posted 6/14/2004 1:47:48 AM
blogs are supposed to be funny,.......
report abuse
incircles_   posted 6/15/2004 1:01:27 PM
14 blinks.
report abuse