To the editor:

A White House proclamation issued by George Bush last week designated Jan. 21 as “National Sanctity of Human Life Day,” citing a “commitment to building a compassionate society” and to “protecting our society’s most vulnerable members.” Also last week:

Jan. 16 – The U.N. reported that 34,452 Iraqi civilians died violently in 2006.

Jan. 19 – The Independent reported that 100 eminent physicians signed a letter sent to Tony Blair describing the desperate conditions in Iraqi hospitals where “sick or injured children who could otherwise be treated by simple means are left to die in hundreds because they do not have access to basic medicines or other resources.”

According to a group of international lawyers, this is a breach of the Geneva and Hague conventions that require Britain and the United States, as occupying forces, to protect human life.

Jan. 20 – 25 U.S. troops were killed in Iraq.

The list is endless and appalling. And here at home, those receiving “protection” and “commitment” are too often the rich, big oil, pharmaceutical companies and those who profit from war. But how have our veterans fared? Our poor and uninsured? Our hurricane victims?

The proclamation ends with a call for Americans to “recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.”

Did the jaw-dropping irony actually evade all those who wrote it and read it out loud? The only ceremony I see fitting would be yet another candlelight vigil.

Christy Kennedy,

Lawrence