Monday, July 25, 2011


I tried to stay away from CNN coverage today but during a channel change went there briefly.
Long enough for me to stay and watch a few minutes. I guess I'm a little prejudiced against the cable channel due to their coverage or lack of the Air France crash at our Pearson airport years ago. During a heavy rainstorm it skidded off the end of the runway. They inquired as to how many casualties and decided it was not worthy news because their were no deaths. But I transgress.
The coverage I saw on CNN today were Norwegians crowding a very wide street, silently marching, holding flowers, to honour the citizenry slain in explosion and massacre. Kudos to CNN for the coverage and mostly kudos to the Norwegians who participated. It reminded me of the Amish response when their schoolchildren were slain, and their compassion afterwards.
It was, we can hope, a nut bar or group thereof, severely damaged responsible for these events. Our only saving response should be to deal with it the best we can and mete out the appropriate response, or are at jeopardy to become a mirror image of the enemy.
You can't fight fire with fire!


Saturday, July 23, 2011

The charade begins

Today's events in Norway prompted me to respond. This, unfortunately, is just the sort of copy editors and journalists dream about. Everything from religious fundamentalism, violent movies, video games, bad schooling, bad parenting, and the list goes on and on.
But is it really the genesis of a killing spree of this magnitude? I don't know.
Since we're talking of hypotheticals would a crazy, right wing, neo con, gun nut, in possession of a firearm have trimmed the death count? But that's not even part of the discussion.
But, apparently one fact is concrete; he killed people continuously for an hour. It appears at this point no one defended themselves. Why? Where were the police with all their powers and fancy weaponry? Perhaps the option of legal defense should be available, during the fact, not after, when excuses are luxuries.