Skinny cow syndrome

The first time I ever saw a skinny cow was in 2003 while I was deployed to Iraq. It had never occured to me that cattle in other parts of the world were any different than those here in America; fat, healthy examples of bovine perfection.

In a dusty, mud brick village south of Baghdad I watched a scared family cut through our stopped convoy line leading one skinny cow, ribs on display, a dozen sheep and goats, four or five geese and ducks, probably all the wealth they had to names, across the road to a watering hole in a nearby field. It was a real eye-opener. It was at that point that I resolved in my heart to do right by these people.

Please keep in mind when you read about "intermittant electricity" and "no running water" in Iraq that this has been the norm in many parts of the country since the 1920's. If there was more reliable electrical service under Saddam, if there was more plentiful water supply under Saddam, it wasn't enough to put any meat on the bones of that cow. She didn't get that skinny in the 14 days since we had crossed the berm.



The scene I witnessed was not significantly different from this one. We have a shot at making a real difference. Please support our efforts in Iraq.