Invented casualties of war

Mudville Gazette nails it:

There are two types of Iraq war veterans that have a tremendous appeal to the anti-war crowd - the fictional and the dead. Both types have a common, irresistible trait - others can claim to speak on their behalf.

Indeed.  The sad, fake tale of "Kodee Kennings" is yet another exhibit on the ongoing anti-war effort to create fake casualties of war.

We can now add this to the list of frauds, fakes and liars that populate the anti-war movement.

One of the interesting things about these hoaxes is the ease with which they are discovered.  Often only the most cursory research (as happened in this case) exposes the truth.

Some bloggers have commented on the fact that it took two years for the paper to even verify if "Dan Kennings" was in the military - something the Chicago Tribune did as a first step to even looking at the story.

Perhaps those with a psychological background can explain why it is that these lies grow so big so quickly and yet are so simple to expose if only one looks closely. 

Indeed, there are often hidden clues that give the story away.  The name used may have some other significance (perhaps a relative or friend,) but if one looks up the word "kenning" one finds:

A figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry; for example, storm of swords is a kenning for battle.

The family were indeed, "kennings," a metaphor for the anti-war movement.  Just as a battle is not literally a "storm made of swords," so the Kennings were not literally casualties of war.

To the anti-war movment, such fictions are commonplace and justify their "higher goal" of ending BusHitler's Oil War.

But to the rest of us, they are nothing more than a lie spread by those without the courage to fully embrace the treason they hold in their hearts.

Comments

[Sithkitten]

Names have meaning.

Kodee from Cody meaning pillow or helpful; origin Old English/Irish/Gaelic. Kennings are used in Old English. So to the people who created this story, what meaning does Kodee, Ko-dee,or Ko dee hold?

Dan is from Daniel which means "God is my judge". Colleen means girl/wench from Gaelic. Hastings means "son of an austere man" in Old English.

Jaimie Lee Reynolds was a BA candidate for Radio/Television at SIU in the fall of 2003. Pretty elaborate hoax indeed. The future of media folks.