Will aftermath of VT Massacre bring about a refocus of our priorities?

There's no question that the Virginia Tech Massacre is a national tragedy that will affect hundreds, if not thousands of people for the rest of their lives. It was a senseless, brutal, horrific, profoundly sad chapter in our nation's history. I seek in no way to minimize the pain or suffering of the victims, friends or families.

Having said that, I've heard some commentary in the last few days that really resonated with me. The loss of live in Virginia - 32 lives, as well as the killer, equals the last 10 days in Iraq, as Keith Olbermann sagely pointed out yesterday.

Above, Nancy Smyth, center background, mother of Army Sgt. Adam Kennedy, her husband David Kennedy, right, and her youngest son Colin Kennedy, left, follow Adam Kennedy's casket out of St. Jude Church after a funeral Mass in Norfolk, Mass., yesterday. Kennedy, 25, was killed by an IED in Iraq on Sunday, April 8.

This begs the question - when will the War in Iraq get this type of grieving? I don't know that it will, but I hope it does. It underscores the fact that if you don't have a family member of friend in the Middle East, the war probably has very little impact on you.

I've already commented on the extensive media coverage, and this tragedy deserves all of the coverage it's getting, but I don't see the frenzied coverage of the War in Iraq, and that itself is a tragedy.

For instance, in Iraq, it's estimated that 600,000 people now lost their lives in the war. Above, two dead Iraqi policemen are covered up in a makeshift morgue.

Once more, I'm in no way minimizing what happened at Virginia Tech on Monday, but it's obvious to me after seeing all of the media coverage in Virginia these last few days that we really are getting highly sanitized coverage of the war (like THAT'S news).

There are "Virginia Techs" in Iraq each and every day.

It's my sincere hope that the war ends soon, but I'm not feeling optimistic about it. I'd love to see the Democrats grow a spine and simply stop funding the war. I'll have lots more on this tonight when I get home from work.

Photos from AP