Death Toll in Spain Bombings Rises to 198 (AP). AP - Millions of Spaniards streamed into cold and rainy streets Friday in silent tribute to the 198 people killed in the country's worst terrorist attack, while police removed evidence from the shattered commuter trains in the hunt for the bombers. via [Yahoo! News - World]
10:23:49 AM  #  

At the risk of seeming trite, and faddish, I've decided to post the image below out of respect for those injured or killed in yesterday's bombings in Madrid.

The shock that the citizens of Spain are feeling right now must be unbearable.  I hope that Americans don't dismiss their tragedy too lightly.  I remember travelling to Bolivia after 9/11 and being angered at the fact that the people there weren't more compassionate about the situation, and seemed relatively perturbed by the amount of anger coming from the U.S.  We were barbarians and simpletons for wanting some sort of justice for those responsible.

So it would sadden me to see us take the same stance with Spain now that they have had to deal with the same horrible acts.  With all the talks of offshoring and outsourcing it becomes very easy to dismiss all this and want to shut the borders and forget that there is a whole world out there and we are all connected.  But like hiding underneath the covers of the bed to escape the monster in the closet, this is not a solution. 

The actions of one country have repercussions that are increasingly global in scope.  We must always remember that.  There is more at stake here than boundaries or profits.

10:00:54 AM  #