Arkansas Blog

Think it's subscriber only Max.

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That link doesn't work. It goes to the Arkansas Times mail server.

In the meantime NPR has a good pre-hearing page on Abu Gonzales and USA scandal.

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here's the link to Poynter

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Our dead troop number passed 3300 today in Iraq, 100 times worse than the death toll in Virginia.

And just imagine...what happened at Virginia Tech today, the worst mass shooting in US history, would just be another day in Baghdad.

There has been a 21% rise in US troop death in Iraq since the Surge started. Add more sitting ducks to a 3 way civil war and more little ducks come back home in flag draped coffins.

Also the Democrats have moved the Attorney Torturer Gonzales hearings to Thursday because they assume someone might want him to be aware of the disaster in Virginia. Good....I doubt he'll be any help, but it will give him 2 additional days to twist in the wind.

No one knows the motive for this shooting at Virginia Tech as of yet. It just makes me think an unhappy nation is a dangerous nation. Miserable people aren't helped by miserable times. Prayers....please pray.

"Prayers....please pray."

I think your previous sign-off was better Investigate, Impeach, indict.

Let the debate begin. Same song second or third or fourth verse: We need more controls on what kind of guns and who can purchase these weapons of mass destruction. A no brainer! As opposed to: Every one should have a gun and that way these guys could be taken out or at least have to duck out of the cross fire. This is from the No Brainers.

I have no words of wisdom to offer; I am just so shocked and saddened that one lone person can cause so much grief and pain to so many others.

I can't wait to see how the wing-nuts will try to pin this on Hillary and "the liberal Democrats"? Maybe if all of the students carried automatic weapons ...

Shame on each of you who turned this tragedy into a political forum. Once again, DBI, Lwood, FortSmithboy, uncommon sense, SHAME, SHAME on you. Oh, excuse me, I forgot, the only events that are worthy of comment are about YOUR party.
Children died today. I thank God none of them were yours.

While on the road today and listening about the VT shootings I thought of Bagdad, just like DBI.

47 yesterday and it wasn't really out of the norm.

So, do you think the Iraqis would prefer LIVING under Saddam or dying by the bus load under Bush?

Their motto could be sort of like Vermont's but it would be, live free AND die.

Speaking on the VT massacre, dubya made it a point today to say something affirmative about peoples' right to own guns, but that they must do so by following the law.

I saw no reason for him to make that statement.

I dont see that DBI and the others attempted to make a political point out of this tragedy.

I believe DBI's point is this: We're outraged, horrified, shocked, and _______ - you name it -- by what happened at Virginia Tech today, as we should be. We all are, and i think we all offer them our support in prayers. I know I do. what else can we do?

But why are we not as horrified, as a nation, when 32 fine young American citizens are killed in Iraq in a single day?

why isn't there an hour-long news special on every night about the soldiers lost every day? because they're military, because they signed up, because..........? we're used to those numbers?
because its different in war? It would be no different to me if it were my child, or yours either.

dbi forgive me for hijacking your post and explaining it if that's not what you meant, but if that IS what you meant, I fail to see how thats a political agenda. thats a human agenda.
and its one that hits home specially hard when you have two draft-age sons away at college and grad school, as I do. dear God, please protect all our children, especially now, in case some jerk idiot decides to be a copycat.

is nothing safe any more?

i just dont see where they turned this into a political opinion. 32 children murdered at Va Tech is horrifying -- and it should be no less so to hear of 32 "casualties" in iraq today, but we don't get nearly as decompensated over that.

Tina,
Thank God None of those Children were yours.

I didn't mean to offend you Curious, but on the other hand I don't care. Bush had nothing to do with firing any shots in Virginia today. But he has everything to do with the miserable shape the world is in today.

The early rumor is that the shooting started off with a lover's spat....that is the current rumor. I hope for the sake of the nation it doesn't get more complicated than that.

I walk around ants, I let wasps out the window, I hate death and dying. I also have a daughter that is a sophomore in college. The events of today are devastating to me....to everyone around me.

But the people of Iraq have lived this day and worse every day for going on 5 years. Think.....the worst mass shooting in US history goes on in and around Baghdad EVERY DAY FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

And we holler poor me......poor us. Those poor poor parents in Virginia....those poor dead kids. We should holler those things....it's horrible beyond words. But why do we get a pity party and not Iraq? Why am I a rotten bastard for pointing out the truth on this day?

Where is our compassion for the 10s of thousands of parents in Iraq who have buried their kids during the War for Oil? Why do we not cry crocodile tears for the bloody dead children in Iraq? Are we better than those people? Do they hurt less when their kids are murdered....EVERYDAY?

Does CNN-Iraq broadcast ambulances carrying off the dead every hour of every day in Iraq? Does the President of Iraq break into Iraqi TV coverage every hour of every day in Iraq to say murmur, murmur because 37 innocent people died in Iraq today?

I feel so sorry for the people in Virginia, living and dead. But we should have been feeling this exact same shock and grief for those killed in Iraq every single day since we invaded and let loose the hounds of war on that nation. It's not just about us.... and we'll be hated until we figure that out.

Hugh, just yesterday Wayne LaPierre was quoted as saying, "Today there is not one firearm owner whose freedom is secure." You know, same thing he always says. So the president was merely offering soothing words to the NRA. Hopefully, the next president will be Mitt "the Rifleman" Romney, who can demonstrate his prodigious rodent hunting skills.

The students @ VT were counterparts of mine. This could have just as easily been the UA, or UCA, or ASU, etc. I am hurt in maybe the same way that a solider hurts when he hears about the loss of one of his brothers-in-arms.

My (probably unpopular) opinion is that these kids didn't get up this morning expecting to go in to a war zone. They were just headed to class; a regular day. Whoever dies -- soilders or students -- it is outrageous and unneccessary. I just don't think the two problems belong side by side.

Arkansas Student, I respect your opinion completely. I have adult children who teach at colleges, and I also have grandchildren who attend public school. This violence scares the hell out of me.
Having said that, however, I also can agree with the other bloggers that this death toll is an every day event in Iraq.
I am so sad.

"Oh, Death, thou comest when I had thee least in mind."

That's a line rom the 15th century morality play, Everyman. True all those centuries ago, true today, and true for as long as young people continue to die needlessly.

Killing is killing, and dying is dying, whether it occurs in Bagdad, Iraq or Blacksburg, VA. There is no good reason for human beings to kill each other, whether it be in a war zone or on a university campus. Stop the violence!

Nobody knows why? Nobody knows! All should know! The reasons are in the recent histroy of the USA. Looks as if most blogers don't know why people act this way when the answer is as plan as the nose on your face. A Godless nation will always go down the same roads that has cause other mighty nations to fall flat on their face. It is terrible to read the comments of highly educated people saying, "I don't understand it!" Well the answer is right under your noses.

chasv is morphing into Jerry Falwell again....same old story...we deserve this because of gays, races mixing, MTV, porn, 5 dollar popcorn at the movies, women swimming while having their period.....

91% of Americans say they believe in God, there's a church on every corner, yet chasv & Falwell say this is a Godless nation. Hie thee to the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas and be done with it.

"I didn't mean to offend you Curious, but on the other hand I don't care."

What dbi said. I hate lecturing preaching...especially when it's the hypocritical sanctimonious kind. And it's hypocritical 'cause of the political dig inserted in the lecture about inserting politics...and it's sanctimonious because the author assumes his/her opinion is coming from a loftier moral higher ground than the rest of us. But I especially love the crap about being thankful it's not our children who died...well duh. The next time you feel that moral superiority taking over, curious, get a congregation, get in front of the mirror...you'll have a more fitting audience.

I'm thankful every day that my child is alive. It's a rare person who gets past 30 without realizing how capricious/fleeting life is...no matter the precautions. And, I assume every parent on this blog feels the same about their loved ones.

m thankful every day that my child is alive. It's a rare person who gets past 30 without realizing how capricious/fleeting life is...no matter the precautions. And, I assume every parent on this blog feels the same about their loved ones.

Thank you, Zelda. There was no sanctimonious intent. All I intended to was to empathize and sympathize with the parents who are now suffering on our soil. I am acutely aware of other parents who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq. The issue at VT, in my very humble opinion, has nothing to do with whether or not one agrees or disagrees with political decisions. And, that was the theme of the original post by Max.