Get a grip on life

I never cease to be surprised by my people. After spending a day overwhelmed and consumed by the media coverage of the VT massacre, and just really being speechless that such an atrocity took place. I have heard 2 comments from Black people that are really working my nerves.

The 1st was a Black broadcaster that chose to compare this incident to the Don Imus situation. Saying that these were just helpless students trying to pursue an education and were the victims of senseless attacks. You can see the parallel being murdered versus being called an offensive name? This one isn't even worth a response.

The 2nd was a large group of Black people that are enraged at Bush's plan to visit VT to show support for the victims of this tragedy. They say he never made an effort to visit the Katrina victims, and if this would have happened at a Black College he would not be going there to offer his consolation. They say how can he go there for a tragedy that affected 33 people when Hurricane Katrina affected thousands.

I open my impression of these statements with this statement "get a grip people, and recognize that the world does not revolve around you."

If you share the thoughts above, and you have a hard time understanding Bush's logic for not getting on the ground in Katrina just take a look at yourself because you are just alike. You decided this event has lesser importance based on the demographics of the people involved, if this event had happened at a Black College you would have no issue with his visit at all.

Lord knows I hate Bush as much as the next person, probably more than most, but I try to have an opinion of his administration that is based on the facts and not self-serving. So let me start with the assertion that the impact of the VT massacre is about 33 people?

Not only have the 32 victims and the shooter suffered this tragedy, but all of their family and friends share this loss. Not to mention the 25K students that attend this university and their family and friends, the alumni of this university and their family and friends, and the entire community of Blacksburg. So we are already at thousands.....but let's add on the rest of the population impacted by this event. This event represents 2 major concerns in American society: 1) the safety of our children while at school, 2) and the continuous gun violence that plagues this nation.

You add that and we are talking millions impacted. I fully support Bush's presence and support for the victims of this tragedy, and I do that as a human being and as an American not as a Black person.

I have been in a hurricane zone, I have witnessed flooding, I have driven by tornadoes, even floated around from place to place for a period of time w/o a place to call home, but if you gave me the choice to experience all that again vs. being in a building with some lunatic shooting and killing people all around me. I would go through it all again every day of my life rather than going through the experience of the victims of the VT massacre.

This message is not at all to downgrade the horrible tragedy experienced by the victims of Hurricane Katrina or to pacify the hatred I had for Bush at that time and still have now. It is an attempt to recognize that each tragedy stands on its own, you do not have to degrade one tragedy to have an appreciation for another.

When I decided to make this post I had planned to do a spill on how the disappointment and anger about Hurricane Katrina goes far beyond the Bush administration, although I did expect that he would assert himself as the President and provide all assistance he had within his power and restore order. He did not, he failed. I decided not to really go into that because at this moment I don't want to detract from the issue at hand.

Bush along with all of us, need to get a grip, step away from our selfishness and focus on supporting the victims of the tragedy.