It did not take the big media long to create a perennial drama out of the events at Virginia Tech. To their credit, it was the worst mass murder in our history - 32 people gunned down. But that lends me to ask, "Then what was Oklahoma City?" Anyway, I digress. Nor, did it take long for 'us peoples' to hop on the saga. Local media all over the county tries to find connections with Virginia Tech. They dig out a guy who had a cousin who once called the school by mistake. "I need the day off man, I was too close to the thing man. Like, ya dig dude?" the guy laments. "We have councilors available," the news lady says with a tear in eye.
I have seen how the big media sweeps into a town with their big satellite vans for some aberrational event. When they get what they want they vanish in the night. It sounds like Virginal Tech has begged them to leave now. Not so fast - the big media pimps the event, we prostitute ourselves to them, and the rest of us enjoy sharing in the misery of the event. People are wearing Virginia Tech clothing today who never heard of them just eight days ago.
I used to work with a guy named Charles whose mother-in-law died three times. Each time, enough time lapsed and the management had turned over so no one realized he was pulling one over on them. Each time he got three days off to tend to his mother-in-law's needs. I however was counting, and I laughed out loud in church when a few years later he had actually died and his 'supposed-to-be-dead mother-in-law got up to speak at his eulogy.
How poetic the timing of the movie, Children of Men. In the beginning of the futuristic tale, we are thrown into a world where women have not been able to have children for 18 years - a generation. We never find out why the condition has stricken humans world wide. But, in the opening scene the people in the coffee shop grieve as they learn on TV that the youngest human on earth (18 years old) has been killed in a knife fight. The BBC has theme music [oh yeah, so did FOX, CNN, MSNBC....last week for Virginia Tech] to put in the back ground of the story.
I have seen how the big media sweeps into a town with their big satellite vans for some aberrational event. When they get what they want they vanish in the night. It sounds like Virginal Tech has begged them to leave now. Not so fast - the big media pimps the event, we prostitute ourselves to them, and the rest of us enjoy sharing in the misery of the event. People are wearing Virginia Tech clothing today who never heard of them just eight days ago.
I used to work with a guy named Charles whose mother-in-law died three times. Each time, enough time lapsed and the management had turned over so no one realized he was pulling one over on them. Each time he got three days off to tend to his mother-in-law's needs. I however was counting, and I laughed out loud in church when a few years later he had actually died and his 'supposed-to-be-dead mother-in-law got up to speak at his eulogy.
How poetic the timing of the movie, Children of Men. In the beginning of the futuristic tale, we are thrown into a world where women have not been able to have children for 18 years - a generation. We never find out why the condition has stricken humans world wide. But, in the opening scene the people in the coffee shop grieve as they learn on TV that the youngest human on earth (18 years old) has been killed in a knife fight. The BBC has theme music [oh yeah, so did FOX, CNN, MSNBC....last week for Virginia Tech] to put in the back ground of the story.
After the coffee shop is coincidentally blown to bits (a violent society it is indeed in the future), the movie's anti-hero who narrowly escapes goes to his office. There he finds his co-workers sobbing and watching the saga of the dead teenager on their computers. The anti-hero goes to his boss and says he is broke up and needs the day off. Next we see him telling his friend that people crying are whackers and stupid - the anti-hero and his friend then smoke a joint. Charles, I hope where ever you are, you can see movies. I know you would appreciate Children of Men's stab at society's nitwitery.
How about now that the awful event at Virginia Tech is a week past, we leave them alone to sort out their grief and we spend the media money and resources we are spending there now to do some profiles on our killed soldiers in Iraq. After all, we often lose 32 of them over there a week. Ah, wait, that's a crazy idea.
How about now that the awful event at Virginia Tech is a week past, we leave them alone to sort out their grief and we spend the media money and resources we are spending there now to do some profiles on our killed soldiers in Iraq. After all, we often lose 32 of them over there a week. Ah, wait, that's a crazy idea.
This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Sgt. 1st Class Dan H. Gabrielson, 40, of Frederic. He spent 22 years in the Army Reserve. Gabrielson was a specialist in repairing construction equipment for the Army Reserve's 652nd Engineer Company based out of Ellsworth. He worked as a mechanic and machinist in the unit's motor pool and was in charge of keeping the bridge building equipment working under very difficult conditions. Sgt. Gabrielson was the third Wisconsin serviceman to die in Iraq and the first reservist from the state killed there. Gabrielson had taken over the role of platoon sergeant for his unit and was studying to become a warrant officer. He was promoted from staff sergeant to Sergeant 1st class after his bridge building unit was sent to Iraq. Sergent Gabrielson was killed on July 9, 2003, in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a convoy near Baqouba, 45 miles northeast of Baghdad.
3,323 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.
71 Wisconsin Soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.
Soldier of the week and military casualty information sources: cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
3,323 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.
71 Wisconsin Soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring 2003.
Soldier of the week and military casualty information sources: cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
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