Virginia Tech

The reaction from across the pond to the Virginia Tech tragedy has seemed decidedly muted, considering that the body count is up there with the subway bombings. Hell, we had the 1st Army Band serenading the British Embassy with "God Save the Queen." Maybe we figured the national trauma was greater, owing to geo-political implications; but I think 33 dead people, especially 32 good ones, is a hell of a lot of people to lose, anywhere and for any reason. I suppose more bloggers will comment on it in the coming days.

Perhaps part of the quiet has been a sort of "so what is new?" sense of resignation. Americans shooting each other is not news. That this particular lunatic was a resident alien from South Korea is just not enough of an interesting spin to make this story in to anything more than just another "bloodbath in America" item.

What comments I do see in the UK press pretty much round up the Usual Suspects - American willingness to risk collective well being and security for individual liberty, and "American 'gun culture'". I will have several things to say about this, in the coming days, that have a sort of "cross-benches" perspective. In other words, everyone will find something to disagree with me about. But, I want to wait a day or two before commenting, to see if more is said by more UK bloggers.