The VT shootings leaves this military mother numb

Posted by a military mom at Daily Kos:

With my Marine son just back from Iraq two days ago, following my having to endure 203 straight days of reading reports such as above -- during which time another 604 U.S. troops were killed -- I'm finding it difficult to register much more than numbness over 32 people being shot dead in Virginia.

And yes, my "is that all?" reaction bothers me. But is it surprising?

Becoming
inured to such violence is a terrible shock. Feeling numb towards the
loss of life of innocent students and professors going about their
daily lives is not something I ever expected to feel.

This disturbs me to no end.

Most of us, meanwhile, will never have the need or desire to massacre a group of innocents to quell our inner rage.

But numbness towards such acts? If it can happen to me -- an otherwise loving mother who has fought off panic attacks nearly every
day for the past seven months -- it can happen to anyone. And I can
only blame it on war, this war in Iraq -- its images, its
pointlessness, its unending four-year-old cycle of tragic death, in the
tens of thousands, on all sides.

I don't want to feel indifferent about "only" 32 innocent lives
ended by a madman. But while this war rages on, I do. And that is
tragic in itself.

more....http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/4/18/111452/350