Over the Fourth of July weekend the American Friends Service Committee sponsored the second “Eyes Wide Open” exhibition at the Visitor’s Center in Historic Philadelphia. This traveling exhibit displays a pair of boots for each American soldier whom has been killed in the Iraq war.

Eyes Wide Open	Eyes Wide Open	Eyes Wide Open
Eyes Wide Open	Eyes Wide Open

Over the Fourth of July weekend the American Friends Service Committee sponsored the second “Eyes Wide Open” exhibition at the Visitor’s Center in Historic Philadelphia. This traveling exhibit displays a pair of boots for each American soldier whom has been killed in the Iraq war. Sometimes prayer cards, messages or other items of remembrance are placed on different pairs of boots by loved ones. Since the US soldiers aren’t the only victims in this war, as the mainstream media may lead people to believe, the AFSC has a wall of remembrance and field of shoes in memory of Iraqi civilians killed during the combat. Besides the outdoor displays, there were film screenings, workshops, discussions and other events throughout the weekend.

The first display of the “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit was in Chicago during January 2004. At that time there were 504 pairs of boots. New boots representing fallen soldiers are added to the collection as the exhibit travels around the country. According to Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, the current number of American soldiers killed in Iraq is up to 1,744. Last year when “Eyes Wide Open” was in Philadelphia over the Fourth of July weekend, the amount of US casualties was at around 800.

The American Friends Service Committee is an organization based on Quaker values, including that of nonviolence. According to the organization’s Statement on Immediate Withdrawal of US Troops, that the US continues to be a presence in Iraq is wrong and has not helped in making the region a safe or stable place.

For more information on the American Friends Service Committee, further resources on the Iraq war and the AFSC’s work in Iraq, visit their Wage Peace Campaign website. To see a list of co-sponsoring organizations, see the official Eyes Wide Open site.

[article.to_original.homepage.prefix]: http://www.phillyimc.org/