Everyone knows by now what happened at Virginia Tech, so I'm not going to bother going through it.

Anyways, I just think it's interesting that the entire US(the world even) is distraught over this massacre, yet when something like This happens a few days before, no one in our country bats an eye.

I really think Bush needs to re-evaluate our priorities/goals/objectives in Iraq. 33 deaths in one instance is an aberration here, but it's a common occurrence in Baghdad.

Anyways, just trying to shine some perspective on recent world events...

How about the fact that thousands die from hunger each day, while the US stores grain in warehouses (never to be used) to keep prices up in the US. What keeps them from giving it to the world's hungry and poor? It wouldn't lower the price of wheat here; only help the needy.

I don't think the comparison is valid or intellectually honest. We can always point to a bigger tragedy, right? Why should we care about the civilians dying in Iraq? After all, 11 million died in the Holocaust. Only 3,300 troops have died. In Vietnam, 58,000 died. How about those perspectives?

Iraq is a war zone. Virginia is not. That is why so much attention is focused on the shooting.

I've been thinking about that ever since the current Iraq War was a year in. Every time some kind of IED blows a truck full of soldiers, people here in the States feel it. They ask stuff like, "Why aren't those vehicles plated?" At the same time, there are more reports about insurgents, militias, and terrorists killing civilians by the tens to hundreds over there. You don't really hear an outcry for those people. Soldiers at least understand what they are getting into because they volunteered. Civilians, however, never asked for any of this. It was just placed upon them just because their government didn't get along with ours.

This kind of stuff happens all over the world anyway. I think its because we are in this little fairytale mindset. We are so used to living in our high standards that we forget the reality of this world. No matter how progressive and just a society is, the possibility of people being killed indiscriminately is still possible.

I also think all the politicians going on about this are very transparent. I really don't think we really need to hear what some rich guy that went to some very expensive school has to say about what happens at some average university. The minute this story came out, politicians were all over it. Political talk radio started making it either about we need more gun control (liberals) or it wouldn't have happened if the guy knew other students were packing also (less gun control - conservative). I can understand if a politician wants to give some long and dry speech about it because they or someone in their family attended that university. But these are politicians giving long and dry speeches about people than can give a half a fuck about.

The bottom line is that most people simply don't care if a bunch of towelheads in the Middle East get killed.

/thread

It isn't being painted as such. That's why I said the white house needs to be honest with themselves about their priorities.

Give me one quote from the last year where Iraq is described as a "war zone".

Don't get me wrong, I know what Iraq is, and I think it's worse than a war zone, but that doesn't mean we should lose perspective on what's happening.

Stalin starved around 100 million to death? Pffft, whiney Jews and their holocaust.

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In the correct dosage, violence solves anything.