Wake Up Call...

I was reading Matt's Opaque Lucidity and it got me to thinking. I'll give you a minute to read it.....

Back, good. He brings up a great point that had been over looked by every media outlet, politician, and commentator. Were the hell was everyone?!?!?!?!? These are our best and brightest, and no one thought of giving him the bums rush? No one thought of ambushing him? I can understand Columbine but these are men and women we are talking about here. These are people older than those fighting for freedom overseas, these are those "adults" you see on YouTube and 'other' sites performing for the camera, these are those people making a difference in the community. These are not children, these are not helpless babes, yet they stood around and did nothing.

I am sure we will hear in the future of the woman who stayed with her friend to help her after being shot, or the men who blocked the door and saved 10 fellow students. But Matt's post got me a little angry. I remember 9/11 and watching a camera shot from the Pentagon as dozens of people ran from the building to this little rise and then as one they turned and ran back towards the flame and ruin to help, I remember hearing of the men and women on United 93 and at the same time as my heart broke it swelled with pride and admiration for those brave souls, I remember those Firefighters and Police Officers charging into the Twin Towers. Before that, I recall the men and women who stepped up to fight Hitler, those who stormed the beaches of Normandy or froze in the forests around Bastogne, those who rallied around Pearl Harbor and landed on numerous islands in the Pacific. Where are those people? Where are those Americans? What would our Grandparents think of us now? They gave of themselves to create a nation of 'me-firsts'?

I wrote some time ago of the "pussification" of America, it was not until reading Matt's post that I realized that not only was I the only one who noticed, mainstream American does not seem to care. I would like to think I am man enough that I would stand up when my time came but I do know that if that kid walked into Virginia Tech 50 years ago and started shooting up the place he would have been lucky to get off a 2nd shot...

My thoughts and prayers do go out to those victims and their families and I by no way blame them for what happened. But I can not help but think if someone stood up the death toll would be in the single digits instead of the 30's.