Things I Learned Last Month While Not Blogging

1) When a Palestinian Muslim straps a bomb to his waist and blows up 32 Israelis, he’s a terrorist. When a Korean living in the United States shoots 32 people for “being rich,” he’s a troubled college student. 2) A white man leaves a nail bomb at an abortion clinic in Texas? Just another example of something that white folks do that isn’t terrorism. And, boy, the liberal media and the Republican Party won’t shut up about it, either. 3) Laura Bush says that Iraq, a country approximately the size of California, with a population approximately that of Texas, is pretty much stable now, except for that pesky one bombing a day. School shooting in Virginia kills a measly 32 people? United States whines for weeks. Pussies. 4) Chinese? Korean? Japanese? They all look alike. 5) A South Korean kills dozens of people on American soil? Time to invade China. Better to fight the Asians over there, so we won’t have to fight them here. 6) The world has changed dramatically since 11 September. Thus, US citizens should be willing to give up certain basic rights and freedoms to ensure everyone’s safety. Except, of course, for tighter restriction on firearm purchases. 7) The Virginia Tech shooting could have been prevented if people were allowed to carry concealed handguns. Life is, after all, just like an episode of 24. 8) No one could have predicted that a bullied kid who wrote disturbing stories in English classes, who was encouraged to seek counselling, who was investigated for stalking and harassing female students, and who was declared mentally ill and ordered to seek outpatient treatment, could have been a threat to himself or others. Just like no one could have predicted 11 September, despite detailed warnings to the Bush administration from governments and intelligence agencies in Indonesia, France, Britain, Italy, India, Argentina, Russia, Morocco, Israel, Germany, Jordan, Egypt, and even Afghanistan. Hindsight truly is 20-20.