32 people killed anywhere at anytime is certainly a tragedy. Luckily for Americans it is a tragedy that does not befall us with any great frequency. Can you imagine if such a massacre were to occur every day for years and years? Resulting in thousands, then tens of thousands, and maybe even hundreds of thousands of innocent people killed while undertaking innocent pursuits like shopping, working, and even studying? In a country like that, a boy like Cho wouldn't be news at all. Lucky for Cho, then, that he wasn't from Iraq.
Yes, as America went about developing its latest tragic obsession today, more Iraqis died. 233, as a matter of fact. 183 in Baghdad alone, a city in which we have been told we need invest only a bit more blood in order to surge our way to victory. There, 32 is nothing. And our own troops? Our own young men and woman who did not happen to find themselves in a college classroom, but instead on the dusty streets of a city whose residents they did not know? They are dying, too:
From October 2006 through last month, 532 American soldiers were killed, the most during any six-month period of the war. March also marked the first time that the U.S. military suffered four straight months of 80 or more fatalities. April, with at least 58 service members killed through Monday, is on pace to be one of the deadliest months for American forces.While the media continues to throw THE GREATEST MASSACRE IN AMERICAN HISTORY up on it's blinking flashing scrolling headline bars (making plenty of ad dollars in the process), we should be sad. We should be outraged that such a killing spree was able to happen, that so many innocents died. Outraged that so many students will never be able to realize their dreams, and outraged that even more students will never be able to learn from the several brilliant professors who were also slaughtered. However, we should not forget. We should not lose perspective. Death in Iraq may be far less surprising than death in Virginia, but it does not mean that it should be any less subject to our outrage nor to our demands that it must stop.
Great point...233 people dead in a day is awful. Let's not forget that a life in the US is equal to a life anywhere else in the world. Bush can talk about the tragedy on the VT campus all he wants, but what about the deaths of 532 soldiers and countless Iraqis as a result of his "war"? Somehow, I seriously doubt that sending more troops is the answer.
ReplyDeleteDearest Cicero,
ReplyDeleteWhile I completely agree with your point (and it is one that Rosie O’Donnell makes several times a week on The View), I have to present the other side as I see it. Yes, the media makes money with the art of distraction. However, Americans in general, have so many venues to choose from to receive their news: newspapers, magazines and tv programs that span the entire political spectrum, npr, endless websites, your blog. And while all of these are skewed, we have the basic option to choose what we want to read and when. And sometimes we just like to be distracted with Anna Nicole’s baby daddy because there is nothing we can do about the 4 year mess in Iraq. It’s not pleasant feeling so defeated all the time. I do admire your belief in achieving something better though, and if you have suggestions as to how the everyday citizen can help tackle mountains, please tell us.
I'd like to quickly comment on what anonymous had posted regarding the unpleasantness of feeling defeated. It is true that most of us may indeed feel defeated after the precarious situation our beloved president has entered us in, however, as Americans we can do something. There is a great quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr that states "The Greatest sin of our time is not the few who have destroyed, but the majority who have sat idly by." This is the case in point for most Americans who prefer to watch the next episode of twisted shows like 24 than take to the streets, join groups like MoveOn.org, send a heated letter to their representative, or simply vote. As Americans we've forgotten the power of voice and action. It's necessary that we demand action on the part of those politicians who claim they represent the public. Educate and speak your mind - teach your neighbor about the realities of Iraq and that 233 people dead in a single day is not a sign of success, but rather pandemonium - hell on Earth. Every little thing we do as activists, voters, citizens, does have an impact whether we believe it or not. We need to quit feeling defeated by a government that thrives on their ability to curb our civil liberties!
ReplyDelete