There Are No Words Necessary
I don’t know what to say about this wedding photograph taken by Nina Berman of Ty Ziegel and his wife Renee. There are, of course, thousands of just as upsetting images of Iraqis that have been effected by the war, but when it comes to the reality of war itself, all of them are just as relevant, and should hit our hearts with equal force, as if hammer blows.
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February 26th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I think I saw this picture for the first time last week. Someone had posted it as a joke, so I didn’t look twice and assumed it was a manipulated pic.
But it’s not. Here is the complete series.
February 26th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
Really… just what can one say?
February 26th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I’m glad he still has someone to come home to, sadly I am not sure how many women would go through with getting married after such hardship. Nice to know there are still noble honorable good people out there.
February 26th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
I look at the photo and wonder if there is any actual happiness in it. Since it’s a marriage we assume there is, but I don’t know.
February 26th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I look at the photo and wonder if there is any actual happiness in it. Since it’s a marriage we assume there is, but I don’t know. The bride is certainly not smiling. I can’t help but wonder if she married him only because she would feel awful for not going through with it because of his new deformity. He can’t be feeling too good about things either.
(Sorry about the double post. Somehow publish was hit.)
February 26th, 2007 at 4:40 pm
This is just a remarkable story. Its unfortunate that stories like these are not widely shown in the mass media. Maybe if Anna Nicole or Brittney Spears were to die in Iraq then the media would give it 24hr coverage. But unfortunately the media is controlled in the US and we are fed the stories like baby pablum, they tell us want to care about.
This story does pose a good ethical question, would YOUR love be so strong to get past the physical and emotional issue of a life taken in battle……
February 26th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
^^^
I know what you are saying, it certainly isn’t a fairy tale romance but it is an act of compassion and understanding to not be shallow and leave. At least that’s the way I hope it is.
February 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Regarding some of the above comments, I actually saw those two on Oprah not too long ago, and Mrs.Ziegel is seemingly incredibly genuine about her feelings for her husband, despite the inevitability that most women would have instantly turned tail. She swears up and down that what happened to his physical appearance means nothing to her emotionally or romantically, and that she is still completley in love with the person he was before the explosion and that’s all that should matter to her, and anyone else. It really is an upsetting story, such a horrible thing should never have to happen to anyone, and now he will struggle with pain and endless surgeries for years to come…but…when it comes to their marriage, it truly does appear to be a wonderful, solid companionship.
There really are genuinely good people out there somewhere. Emphasis on “somewhere”.
February 26th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
I’ve dealt with a much less serious disfigurement my entire life, not by an act of war but an act of life, and seeing something like this offers such sad, heavy perspective.
February 26th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
woah, woah, woah. THE Geoff Lloyd? Are we to anticipate the return of the heaviest rock groove known to man? Did he come up with those rhythms or are those Livesey credited… or your own devious workings? (Im talking Alabama Motel Room, Apparitions… come to think of it, there wasn’t much reuse of the same rhythm, but that bass kick drum unity was beyond the Iggy Pop, Lust for Life rhythm that seems to have found its way back onto the radio.. what do I know).
This is me trying to get over how incredibly shaken that image made me.
May the bombs stop tomorrow
February 26th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
I wish you hadn’t just deleted the above comment.
Although not as much as I truly, deeply wish that the commentor was right and Bush and Harper were in fact as genuinely affected as these soldiers.
Instead, it seems that apathy is a key quality to leadership.
February 26th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
“thats really sad. oh well, all in a days work. :)”
Excuse me?
February 26th, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Ow.
Ow, that picture hurts so much.
February 26th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
*Stands up and claps* Bravo! Genuine love still exists. Take that hollywood plastic surgeons!
Oh and if you’re gonna cream all over your pants at the mention of Geoff Lloyd on a P.S….then by all means find a girlfriend or join a 12 year old fan club. The whole point of this site is to avoid little giggly fans to spam the site in the first place.
February 26th, 2007 at 10:16 pm
Now now Patrick. Thats no way to make friends.
That picture makes me bitter. Reminds me of the harmful effects of drinking and driving, having been at the hospital and seeing peoples injuries.
Thats what this war is. Just a huge car crash that has its own inertia of ignorance, that which is never ending.
Its funny how pictures tend to speak louder then any spin doctor ever could.
To be honest i’ve stopped paying attention to the war, like it doesn’t even exist any more. Probably not the most awesome thing to do, but for sure, people made there choices, and this is there mess.
What more can you do? Matthew to be honest. This blog always just makes me want to be bitter towards the world. But I can’t be like that. I have to hope. I have move on.
This isn’t the man I listened to. This isn’t the man I listened to growing up.
February 27th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
“A lot of times we only count the dead. We don’t realise that most of the injured lives and their families lives have also been changed.”
Incredibly well written.
It’s said that the ultimate goal of war is to injure your opponant. There are a couple of reasons:
I) You’re not killing them.
II) An injured man takes 2 away from the battle (Stretcher or what have you)
III) A more profound impact upon family life after war. Take for instance this wedding photo. If he had died, she would most likely move on in her life, while not forgetting about him. But deffinetely move on. Whereas he’s injured, something good can probably come from this but, some bad can come out it.
I think people tend to look at war and figure “Oh, it’s all about killing the other people and gaining your goal” which is terribly wrong. I find that war involved much more pyshcological thinking. Take for instance the Week of Hell in (April 2 - 9 1917 Vimy). This week of shelling of throwing over a million shells upon the german troops essentially demoralized them more than ever thought of.
Theres much more to photo’s than a 1000 words. If you really think about it, most photo’s you can write a whole novel on, if you were to get detailed enough.
Just my .02