In the midst of the death and destruction brought about by the war in Iraq, for some reason it’s the pillaging of Iraq’s museums that really leaves me depressed, mainly for the senselessness of it all. It seems odd to be as upset about things, especially things that don’t really have any practical value, as one might be about people, but I can’t help but feel so very sad that some Iraqis have chosen to destroy or steal the cultural artifacts that document the history of their civilization. Maybe it’s because all of the death and destruction that we confront every day all sort of melds together. If the violent deaths of innocents sent me into a deep depression, then I could never leave the house. On the other hand, the destruction of a national museum is something more unusual. Obviously, given the attention being paid to the musem story, many other people feel similarly.