I've been wondering a lot about the wars we're in.

I have friends, students and graduated students in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I wonder how they spend their days and nights.

I wonder about the sacrifices they make -- all day, every day. I wonder about the hardships they experience -- all day, every day.

And I wonder about the sacrifices and hardships -- the pain and suffering -- experienced by all Iraqis, all Afghanis, all occupied and occupying people.

Yet one person's wonderings can only go so far. Perhaps we need to wonder together, wonder collectively, a bit more these days.

The best part of my job is working with and learning from college students -- the most important, imaginative and inspired ingredient in this gumbo called the UW. And so, since part of my job is asking questions, I am totally curious: What do you all think about our wars?

I wonder what you think of the wars' price tag -- as of last week, $300 billion -- while your tuition is jacked up, federal programs like Head Start are gutted and some Seattle schools are slated to close. I wonder what you think of the weapons of mass destruction we were supposed to find in Iraq. And I wonder what you think of the lack of cheering throngs of Iraqis who were supposed to greet us, welcome us, host us.

Do you ever wonder why it is that our troops are disproportionately black, disproportionately Latino/a, disproportionately American Indian and disproportionately poor? And do you ever wonder why the UW isn't proportionately black, proportionately Latino/a, proportionately American Indian and proportionately poor?

Do you wonder how crazy it is that American soldiers who are gay and lesbian can bear arms in war but aren't allowed to tell their fellow soldiers and superiors who they love? And do you ever wonder how weird it is that these same gay and lesbian soldiers fight overseas for freedom and will return home someday, without the freedom to love and live together?

I wonder what our Earth thinks about our wars. I wonder what all living things think about our wars. I wonder what people in other countries think about our wars. And I wonder what Americans think about our wars.

I've been wondering a lot lately about the bloodshed of war, the brutality of war, the barbarity of war. And I've been wondering why, in a country with millions of channels and Web sites, the blood remains invisible and unseen, neither felt nor discussed. But most of all, I wonder when the troops will come home and I wonder how great it will be to see my friends and students again. I want that day to be today.

David Silver is an assistant professor of communication.