Bastards

Is there anything more cowardly than a terrorist attack on innocents? What a way to make your statement: by slaughtering innocent people whose only crime was to go about their daily lives. So far, 37 lives came to an end today in London, courtesy of terrorist bombs. 37 people who got up this morning, perhaps thinking of just getting through Thursday, looking forward to the weekend, maybe meeting up with friends or lovers later. Sitting on the tube, glancing at a newspaper, listening to an iPod, reading a book, or simply staring off into space. Maybe looking out the top floor of the bus, seeing one of the greatest cities on Earth rise for yet another day.

Gone.

I despise how the media centres on numbers: the number dead, and then compares it the Madrid bombings, or other attacks. Why can't they stress to their viewers the one thing that seems to be forgotten in media coverage: that each one of those numbers represents an individual--with family, perhaps children, pets, and a desire to see tomorrow rise. What matters here is coping with the human loss, re-enforcing what that means, and not comparing numbers with other attacks, or debating the activity of terrorist cells.

Not today, anyway.