today in the news...

why are we compelled to categorize tragedy in this country as "the worst...", "the biggest...", "the bloodiest..." the media coverage of the shootings at virginia tech includes these phrases, as if this tragedy is above and beyond the threshold of acceptable tragedy. none of it is acceptable, none of it is justifiable, none of it should be happening.

it is absolutely unacceptable that a 32 people were shot and killed two days ago by a very troubled student. it is absolutely unacceptable that planes were hijacked and flown into the world trade towers, killing so many and wounding even more. it is absolutely unacceptable that iraqi civilians are killed every day as they attempt to go about their daily life. it is absolutely unacceptable that people are being slaughtered in darfur. this list could go on and on and on, listing ongoing and horrifying violence...it could go on and on and on listing past horrors. none of this is okay, none of it is justifiable. let's stop quantifying the degree of human violence, killing, suffering. let's stop trying to hold the moral high ground that violence against us, on our soil, is less acceptable than violence anywhere else. absolutely none of it is acceptable.