THE OTHER BLOODY MASSACRE

Foreigners kill again

Wonkette said it best:

Normal life came to a screeching halt today in America as news of an awful mass murder spread across the nation. Politicians canceled rallies, Congress delayed impeachment proceedings and office workers stopped their usual banal chit-chat about teevee shows or whatever for impassioned if still ill-informed discussions of gun control, violence and the dangers of creative-writing programs.

Ha ha, just kidding! This massacre happened in Iraq, which we totally ignore even though it’s all our fault.

Indeed, a staggering 200 people were murdered in the Iraqi capital today in four separate bombings, one that constituted the single deadliest attack in Baghdad since our invasion of Iraq began.

For those who like math, 200 = [Monday's death count at Virgina Tech] x 6.

Sadly, this tragedy probably won't make it above the fold in tomorrow's papers because the media finds it more urgent to psycho-analyze the Collective Soul song that Cho Sueng-Hui blasted on repeat before he went on a rampage.

Not to diminish the utterly devastating tragedy at Virgina Tech, but I do think these two massacres highlight the gross imbalance that we, as a country, place on Iraqi vs. American lives, even when we, as a country, are directly responsible for the death of the Iraqi lives.

Again, for those who like math, 1 American life ÷ 100 = 1 Iraqi life.

All in all, what a horrific week this has been. And it's only hump-day. (Sigh.)

--Junichi