What is it about specific tragedies that capture the attention, concern, and indignation of “good” folks?

Last week the nation was in shock because of another senseless killing spree in Arizona.  Everyone was looking for someone to blame.  Some  were blaming Palin; others were blaming Obama.  Some were blaming the lack of gun control and then there were those who blamed all of society for refusing to notice the obvious mental illness in the young man.  Bob Herbert in a New York Times article, A Flood of Murder‘ wrote an extremely thought-provoking piece on not only the recent violence but our increasing violence.

He shared a conversation he’d had with the late Marian Wright Edelman, (who at the time was the president of the Children’s Defense Fund), a few days after the Virginia Tech tragedy. “She shook her head at the senseless loss of so many students and teachers, then told me: “We’re losing eight children and teenagers a day to gun violence. As far as young people are concerned, we lose the equivalent of the massacre at Virginia Tech about every four days.””  Herbert doesn’t believe we really care as a country, ” For whatever reasons, neither the public nor the politicians seem to really care how many Americans are murdered — unless it’s in a terror attack by foreigners. The two most common responses to violence in the U.S. are to ignore it or be entertained by it.”

What do you think?  Do you agree or disagree?

I’m Barbara Talley, the poet who speaks and inspires.  To find out more about me check out my promo sheet or visit  my website.