Every one of the 2,000 servicemen and -women who has died in Iraq is an enormous loss. Each will leave a gaping hole in many lives, those of family, friends and even entire communities.

And yet, as the media and the left launches into their “2,000 have died for oil” mantra, let us remember this grim milestone in a bit of perspective. We have, in the past, fought in other wars and conflicts to protect our own interests and those of the downtrodden and defenseless.

This is the number of casualties suffered by the United States for some of the major conflicts in our history.

Revolutionary War: 25,000
War of 1812: 20,000
Mexican-American War: 13,283
Civil War: 558,052
World War I: 116,708
World War 2: 407,316
Korean Conflict: 36,516
Vietnam War: 58,167

War in Iraq: 2,000

Also consider that the following deaths occur from other causes in the United States each year: (CDC)

Intentional Abortion: 1,293,000
Heart Disease: 696,947
Cancer: 557,271
Stroke: 162,672
Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,816
Accidents (unintentional injuries): 106,742
Diabetes: 73,249
Influenza/Pneumonia: 65,681
Alzheimer’s disease: 58,866
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 40,974
Septicemia: 33,865
Murder: 16,110

So while we mourn our servicemen and women, and celebrate their heroism, and thank their families for their sacrifice, let’s keep this in perspective. More people (who have been born) are murdered in the United States in an average two month period, than members of our armed forces have died in Iraq since the conflict began. And over four times as many people die every month in accidents in the United States than have died in combat in Iraq.

Go ahead Cindy, chain yourself to that fence. But I am going to take this tragic milestone as a reminder to appreciate the sacrifice of the men and women who have given their lives so that I can sleep in peace at night, and so that many Iraqis have been able to taste freedom rather than live in daily fear of the evil regime that controlled their country.

War is horrible. But sometimes war is inevitable and necessary because there are evil men, and choosing not to fight becomes more tragic than stepping up and defending yourself and those who need defending.

Rants and memorials: Wake Up Baltimore, Philip Alex, WordPress (and here), Ian, Say Anything, Mind in Qatar, Sister Toldjah, Knight’s Blog, Lean Left, Hullabaloo, Kevin Drum, Oliver Willis, Sortapundit, California Conservative.