By Shane Goodman shane@dmcityview.com

Peace on earth

This week’s cover story unveils 10 of the most troubling fallacies about the ongoing violence in Iraq. It is not often that we publish a national or global story like this as our cover at Cityview, but we, like many of you, are deeply troubled with the current situation and what the future may bring for people everywhere. With this civil war now exceeding the length of America’s commitment during World War II, our government seems poised to “go big” as the next step. And while we are selfishly most concerned about bringing our soldiers home alive, one can only wonder if the death toll of the Iraqis will surpass the reported 500,000.

John Tirman, Executive Director of MIT’s Center for International Studies, writes a pointed essay on the myths he feels are being spread by the media and the distortions of this horrid violence. Most troubling are reports of the 100 widows a day being created by the violence in Iraq, and the gravediggers handling nearly four times as many bodies daily as compared to before the war. And although Tirman’s views are slanted, he provides important information for us to consider during a pivotal time for our country and during a humbling few weeks when we are reminded to pray for peace not only in our country but on all of the earth.

‘Best of Des Moines’ voting now online
It is time again for Cityview’s annual “Best of Des Moines” contest, which allows our readers to vote for their favorite restaurants, shopping, culture, nightlife, media personalities, sports, recreation and more in the Des Moines metro area. We have changed the voting procedure this year, now asking those who cast ballots to do so online at www.dmcityview.com. Look for the “Best of Des Moines” logo on the right hand side of the home page and click through to let the voting begin. The results of the readers’ poll will be published in the Feb. 22 edition of Cityview. Voting deadline is Jan. 12, so make sure you get to the site soon to cast your ballot.

Welcome, Sean
I want to formally introduce Sean J. Miller to all of you. Sean is an aggressive investigative reporter and our newest addition to the editorial team at Cityview. By now, you have seen some of his work in our pages, and will see much more in weeks ahead. I am glad he is here, and you will be, too.

Thanks for reading.

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