Twice as safe to be a soldier in Iraq as a citizen in Chicago
This story may be some comfort for those of us with loved ones in Iraq:
An estimated 123 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.
In May, cbs2chicago.com began tracking city shootings and posting them on Google maps. Information compiled from our reporters, wire service reports and the Chicago Police Major Incidents log indicated that 123 people were shot and killed throughout the city between the start of Memorial Day weekend on May 26, and the end of Labor Day on Sept. 1.
According to the Defense Department, 65 soldiers were killed in combat in Iraq. About the same number were killed in Afghanistan over that same period.
That is not in any way to minimize the risks faced by our men and women in uniform, nor to trivialize the problems of inner-city violence. Clearly, the average citizen in Chigaco is safer than those who are engaging in criminal activity, who likely represent the vast majority of those killed by gunfire. But it is an important comparison to make, as it illustrates how dramatically the violence has declined in Iraq since the surge, and the success our military is having in confronting those who wish the violence to continue.
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