“How many of you know how many soldiers have died fighting, in both the Afghanistan and Iraq war?” was the question that was asked during Wednesday’s presentation about the cost of war.
 

The audience found themselves at a loss.
 

The total number is roughly 5,435 deaths, not including the number of suicides that occurs off base, according to Veterans for Peace.
 

Speaker Ann Wright, a retired U.S. military diplomat, spoke about the various cost of war, such as post dramatic stress, brain injury, suicide and sexual assault.
 

One out of three women serving in the armed forces are harassed or have been a victim of rape.
 

Navy Seal Veteran and Veteran for Peace member Larry Alpert, said the number of rapes that occur in the military are the exact same numbers that occur in civilian life, but the difference is that when it occurs during civilian life it is within the span of a woman’s life unlike the few years a woman spends in the military. So in context the number of rape dramatically jumps when it occurs in the military.
 

Women are not the only victims of rape, 11 percent of men serving in the military have succumbed to rape by fellow troops or by higher ranked officers, as a way to show domination.
 

During the presentation Wright showed the audience a documentary titled Arlington West, which was filmed in Santa Monica.
 

The documentary showcased the damage that war brings to troops and to their families, by showing the injuries soldiers sustained while in combat and families struck with grief as they remember their fallen loved ones.
 

Jennifer Martinez, undecided major, was crying as she watched the film, “It reminded me of my brother who is overseas, we often worry about his safety.”
 

Filmmakers Peter Dudar and Sally Marr wanted to enlighten students on how harmful war really is, not only physically but economically too, “California has now spent $132.6 billion on war in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
 

Nationalpriorities.org says that $136.8 billion was appropriated by congress for both wars for the 2010 fiscal year; $64.5 billion is being directed to Iraq and $72.3 billion for Afghanistan.
 

Dudar and Marr’s concern is that,” We’re spending so much money to fund this war, when we’re the ones suffering. In 2009 our state laid off 27,000 teachers, and this year, 23,000 more received pink slips.”
 

Dudar and Marr closed the presentation by posing a question, ” How is war affecting our education system, and you as a student?”