I want to express my heartfelt disgust and disappointment with today’s “One Day Blog Silence in honor of the victims at Virginia Tech.”

Before I say why, let me first admit I hold no ill will toward those participating.  I believe they’ve done so out of an abundance of heartfelt compassion and respect.

However…

Unless I missed it, we didn’t do any such thing for the victims of Hurricane Katrina or Rita, for the hundreds of thousands of victims of the Indonesian tsunami, for the thousands who’ve already died and the great many who die each and every day fighting overseas in the name of protecting America (even if they’ve been sent to die in one illegal war and another that’s been wrongfully ignored in favor of politics), for the victims of genocide in Darfur, for the victims of the Amish school massacre, or for any number of mass deaths which have taken place recently—or continue to take place around the globe.

Yet somehow fewer than three dozen college kids in a repressive and intolerant state deserve what none of these other people deserve?

Give me a break.  That’s so offensive as to make me puke.

But again let me say I do not doubt the intentions of those participating in today’s hushed blogosphere activity.  They do so with the best intentions conceivable.  Likewise, they’ve been misled into thinking it appropriate to mark this day while ignoring so many others.

To those who organized this event: You have shown tremendous selfishness by goading others into demonstrating a tactless disrespect for the nearly quarter of a million people just from the examples I cited above… and all for thirty-something lives cut short in an abhorrent act of violence.  You should be ashamed of yourselves.

To those who participated in this event: I’m sorry you were tricked or dragged into this vile episode.  Many like me appreciate the sentiment you silently voiced today.  Nevertheless, it seems insulting at best to many others who apparently didn’t deserve any sign of respect or camaraderie.  Perhaps next time you can look deeper and touch more.