Loss of Life

I cannot get away from the Virginia Tech. thing. But, really, none of us can. As my wife remarked yesterday "Of course, nothing will change." She went on to tell me about how after a large rampage in Australia, strict new gun laws were passed. And this, from a country of criminals. (Yes, long ago. I understand that most Aussies are rather wonderful people these days.)

But I read last night that 86 people had been killed in Iraq. Not all of them on that particular day, some had been killed earlier and their bodies only discovered yesterday. And that in one case, a body couldn't even be removed because it was believed that the body had been booby trapped.

And then today I read that 167 people have been killed in Iraq in four large truck bombs. And for some reason, that really affects me much more than the Virgina Tech. shootings. And I think it's because it's passed off as just a fact of the day. And from the way it's portrayed in the media, it's expected and accepted by the Iraqi people as a way of life. I hope that's not the case. I hope that it makes them mad. I hope that it finally pushes them to the point of saying "Enough is enough."

A friend of mine recently passed on a letter from a soldier who was shipping out. It was really well-written and I wish I could post it. But he talked of missing his family, being disappointed that he had been informed that his tour was being extended by three months and how bad he felt for these people. It was really a breath of fresh air, to see someone have such compassion for our global community. All too often the message is either one of fighting for oil and killing the enemy, or it's a downtrodden people who get an hour of power a day because an evil American contractor with ties to our evil Vice President is defrauding every government in the world that it can or that we're fighting an illegal war.

I read something today that said all of the world's problems are based on the fact that people put themselves first instead of others first. I wish I had the book to transcribe the quote, but it made a lot of sense. I think that when people say that organized religion is the reason for all of the world's ills, it's just a nice compact little easy way to get out of being responsible for any of the world's problems.

But, trying to suggest that someone shouldn't be looking out for their own personal interests is a hard sell.