Support

Supporting Statements

I am writing to express my support for the life-size casting of the Bearing Project. . . . In a world where the cost of war is too often measured in dollars and cents, the Bearing Project serves as a sobering reminder of the myriad ways the devastation of war continues to penetrate peoples’ lives years after weapons have been laid down.

This sculpture honors the enduring suffering not only of soldiers, but of the loved ones that help to carry that weight when the fighting is over, even when the soldiers have passed on. The Bearing Project pays a special tribute to the sacrifice of the women who pick up the pieces and march on when hearts and minds have been shattered by war.

This sculpture captures the universality of the suffering and sacrifice of warfare, but it has special relevance to our own time and our own community. I am hopeful that this tribute to sacrifice will soon have a place. . . .

-Marcus Riccelli
Washington State Representative

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I am writing in support of the Bearing Project . . . .  This stunning life-size sculpture is a powerful reminder of the heavy burden of war on the civilian population, and especially on women who consistently suffer the most in armed conflicts. 

The lazy and relaxed attitude of the armed fighter offers a disturbing contrast with the strong woman who, while suffering under his weight, courageously moves forward.  This work also should remind us of the burden of war in our community.  Too many young men and women are fighting in far-away lands, leaving mothers, sisters and daughters behind.  These women carry the burden of war everywhere they go.

Finally, the work should remind us of the human cost of war, where fighters lose their humanity and often victimize the same people they purport to protect.  Lest we forget, the heaviest cost of war is often what we don’t see.

-Bassem A. Bejjani, M.D.,
Lebanon war survivor

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