There is no doubt this was something really bad ...
BUT...
Iraq had some 100+ people killed over the weekend.
Syria has had some 18000 people killed over the last 17 months - that's about 1000 per month, or about 30 per day(round numbers). Yet we're somewhat blase about those amazing number of deaths while being stunned by 12 here. And there were some 13 deaths in Tx as a result of a single vehicle accident (probably lots more to this story as well). I haven't heard anything about massive numbers of people visiting the site of the accident.
So where does that leave me? I don't know. I have a feeling it has to do with timing - it happened on a Friday night-Saturday morning...the news cycle didn't have anything else to talk about over the week-end, so that's what they talked about.
I also noted that a six year old was killed in the theatre. At a Batman movie, being shown after 12 midnight. What was her mother thinking!!
In other words, I'm not sure exactly _what_ to think about the whole thing. Why was it so necessary to preserve the evidence in his apartment? Is there any doubt that he did what he did? Not that the police shouldn't have done what they did...just that they kept talking about preserving evidence. There's going to be an insanity defense - no doubt. Justified? The news pundits are already talking about insanity as being unable to distinguish between good and evil...but in a society where good and evil (as opposed to good and bad) are defined by religion, and religion has no place in the public square...what standards do you use to measure the difference? If there is no difference, then maybe we're all insane!
>>The news pundits are already talking about insanity as being unable to distinguish between good and evil>>
Also as distinguishing between "right and wrong". But again - same argument. There are those among us who consider killing and eating animals is wrong. If I don't think so - am I insane?
Have you ever heard of Dennis Prager? He has a radio program I listen to during my long 20 minute drive to work. He's Jewish, and discusses a multitude of topics from a philosophical, moral and political (with a moral slant) to his male/female hour every week.
He was discussing the event this AM, and mentioned it in connection with the TX deaths. His view of why we make such a big deal out of the one and not the other is because we have such an awareness of evil on the one hand, and just plain "those things happen" in the other.
s: I've been thinking about what you said & I think suek's Prager explanation surely is part of it. Another aspect would be that *I* can imagine being in a movie theater. I cannot imagine being one of 20 (or was it 30?) people in a pickup. And I certainly can *not* imagine living in Syria. So perhaps there's an identification issue. ??
Further, and it is sad to say, at some point in counting individuals cease to be individuals. 1 is a person. 2 are two people... . 18,000?
About the six year old. That was my first thought on hearing this.
There is no doubt this was something really bad ...
ReplyDeleteBUT...
Iraq had some 100+ people killed over the weekend.
Syria has had some 18000 people killed over the last 17 months - that's about 1000 per month, or about 30 per day(round numbers). Yet we're somewhat blase about those amazing number of deaths while being stunned by 12 here. And there were some 13 deaths in Tx as a result of a single vehicle accident (probably lots more to this story as well). I haven't heard anything about massive numbers of people visiting the site of the accident.
So where does that leave me? I don't know. I have a feeling it has to do with timing - it happened on a Friday night-Saturday morning...the news cycle didn't have anything else to talk about over the week-end, so that's what they talked about.
I also noted that a six year old was killed in the theatre. At a Batman movie, being shown after 12 midnight. What was her mother thinking!!
In other words, I'm not sure exactly _what_ to think about the whole thing. Why was it so necessary to preserve the evidence in his apartment? Is there any doubt that he did what he did? Not that the police shouldn't have done what they did...just that they kept talking about preserving evidence. There's going to be an insanity defense - no doubt. Justified? The news pundits are already talking about insanity as being unable to distinguish between good and evil...but in a society where good and evil (as opposed to good and bad) are defined by religion, and religion has no place in the public square...what standards do you use to measure the difference? If there is no difference, then maybe we're all insane!
>>The news pundits are already talking about insanity as being unable to distinguish between good and evil>>
ReplyDeleteAlso as distinguishing between "right and wrong". But again - same argument. There are those among us who consider killing and eating animals is wrong. If I don't think so - am I insane?
Have you ever heard of Dennis Prager? He has a radio program I listen to during my long 20 minute drive to work. He's Jewish, and discusses a multitude of topics from a philosophical, moral and political (with a moral slant) to his male/female hour every week.
ReplyDeleteHe was discussing the event this AM, and mentioned it in connection with the TX deaths. His view of why we make such a big deal out of the one and not the other is because we have such an awareness of evil on the one hand, and just plain "those things happen" in the other.
Something to consider...
s: I've been thinking about what you said & I think suek's Prager explanation surely is part of it. Another aspect would be that *I* can imagine being in a movie theater. I cannot imagine being one of 20 (or was it 30?) people in a pickup. And I certainly can *not* imagine living in Syria. So perhaps there's an identification issue. ??
ReplyDeleteFurther, and it is sad to say, at some point in counting individuals cease to be individuals. 1 is a person. 2 are two people... . 18,000?
About the six year old. That was my first thought on hearing this.