The horrendous acts of violence that culminated in 32 dead by my cousins latest update (he's a med student at VA Tech) is a tragedy of proportions rarely if ever experienced in America or by Americans. The media is ripe with crisis coverage, as expected and as it should be...

This is probably inappropriate now but those of us who contend or have contended that Iraq or Baghdad isn't that bad and may even be safe relative to some of our cities should consider this feeling we all have today and that I felt emanating from my cousin as we talked on IM. This tragedy, this crisis would be a good day in Baghdad. An anomaly in years of unrelenting violence.

Your right to defend the actions of this government, the conduct of this war and occupation is just that, your right. But let's put the "Baghdad is safer than Detroit" or whatever, talking point away for good. It's a false, silly and disconnected comparison meant only to protect partisans and attack journalist. Surely there are better ways of defending this war. For example, one would have been to celebrate the 4^th anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein, by like, you know, mentioning it and thanking the troops...

I digress... My thoughts join everyone else's as we mourn for the Hokies and their families.