This was written on a blog by an old friend of Will’s and it is so well written, moving and on point that I thought I would post it here. (hopefully he won’t mind)

This originally appeared on Doughboy‘s MySpace Blog

The following is a response to a chain-bulletin. Its a bit lonnnng but whatevs!

As a prelude : it is a tragedy whenever life is wasted, cut short far too early.

There is a double standard here separating the death toll in Iraq and that of the recent V-Tech shootings though. First off, soldiers volunteer to fight and possibly die and are currently engaged in conflict that the world over (minus the government, not the people, of Britain) sees as unjust, illegal and ENTIRELY criminal. Students on a college campus though have a rather high expectation of safety from such things in this country. This is not true on college campuses in other nations where schools are often the centrifuge of political unrest and subsequently violence and death. Perhaps a semester abroad at Bagdhad University would illustrate my point better?
Secondly, there is more news & public sympathy over the V-Tech shootings simply because our state-influnenced (if not outright controlled) media in the US does not want the public to notice that our soldiers die everyday for an unjust cause. The death toll is currently at 3,355 & 15,000 plus wounded ( http://www.icasualties.org/oif/ ). This figure is that of Americans alone. The number of Iraqi’s dead as a result of our efforts to “free and protect” their “democracy” is much, much higher. The latest esimates are about 130,000. This does not include the ever worsening “other” war in Afghanistan just now.

Making a big hoopdy-doo about tragedies like V-Tech help distract our hearts & minds from the real crimes going on IN OUR NAME. Like invading and occupying a sovereign nation against the expressed will of most of the world, inlcuding our allies as well as the very organizations we as a nation have constructed to prevent tyranny,warfare and fascism. We did form the UN and the Seciruty Council, right? Our government did completely fabricate all of the scare tactics and phony evidence to gain the support of (never more than about 1/2) of Americans and incite them to support invasion.

Simply put, we can not do for our soldiers that which we have done for the students at V-Tech because these are very different situations. Candlelight vigils and sympathy chain-emails will no more bring back any of those killed at V-Tech than they will help our soldiers stay alive. School shootings will likely happen from time-to-time, in part if not mostly because the media sensationalizes them when they occur. It is certain that this demented sort of “fame” is in fact that which helps encourage these things to happen in the first place. Its sick but lots of people want to be the “Next Columbine”, “next V-Tech shooter.” Ever notice that these whack-o’s always mention the most recent murder spree in their manifesto as the one they will make look like a picnic?
The only thing that will keep our soldiers out of harm’s way is ENDING THE WARS WE ARE FIGHTING. Lastly, to address the last line of the repost below : These soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are NOT fighting to protect our freedom. This is a lie. This exactly what the government wants you to believe. Our soldiers are fighting and dying for oil, money and a greater hand in global-domination in “The New World Order.” I am truly sorry if I am offending anyone but seriously, don’t be fooled by false patriotism. Bring our boys and girls home from Iraq & Afghanistan if you truly give a shit at all about their well being.

Anywho, here’s the actual bulletin I was to repost :

Why is it we cant do for our soldiers what we have done for V tech?????

I have known more wives that have lost their husbands to this war than I will know people involved with the Virginia tech tragedy. I will also say that our freedom allows me to say this!

An estimated 31 18-22 year old were shot and killed on a college campus. A horrible tragedy I agree. Now within 6 hours, I have read multiple bulletin posts regarding “prayer lists” and random add your name if you “care about the individuals and families” of the victims. Indeed my thoughts are with them. I would like to tell you what blows my mind. 31 college students get killed, inside the US and the whole nation is so torn up over the families of the victims, and the poor students who were “so young”.

Has it occurred to any of you that so far THIS MONTH 56 of the same aged Americans have been killed in Iraq? And wait, more then double that has been killed every month for the last three years? Why am I not receiving posts and emails about my fellow brethren’s families? Why is the whole nation not grieving for them? Because it is too far away from their homes, so the lives don’t matter. Well I’ll tell you something, its not far away from me. Yet how often do you think about the troops losing their lives on a daily basis? How often do you think of the families every day that lose one of their loved ones?

These are men and women that VOLUNTEER TO DIE FOR YOU, and they do not get half the thoughts of college students. Now don’t get me wrong, it is horrible that such an incident happened, my heart does go out to their families. Just take a second to realize who you offend, when you treat one tragedy different than another, just because it isn’t so close to home. Thank you for listening, and If I have offended anyone, then next time remember whose defending your freedom.

Repost if you agree