Every morning, I listen to the news on the radio and some days I break down when I hear another story about people killed in Iraq. I can’t help myself from feeling so helpless and frustrated at the same time. And then I think about the soldiers who’ve come home. The ones who were fighting for us, and now have to readjust to something like a normal life. I can only imagine how hard it is for them. This photograph was taken in Santa Monica, California. Every Sunday, from sunrise to sunset, the Arlington West Memorial Project places crosses, stars and crescents in the sand for each soldier lost in Iraq. As the waves from the Pacific hit the shore, this weekly memorial offers a powerful place for reflection.Photo and Essay by S. Yim

Fight the Power, San Marcos, California