FBO: 'TV News Watch'

FLAG WEEK TAKES ONE DAY OFF
Media coverage of the Virginia Tech tragedy yesterday has continually used untrue superlatives to add to the flash of their tickerwire and multi-screen images on TV. It may seem silly to poke apart this at such a time, but the widespread error has made the FBO pause.

For starters, a few definitions:

massacre -- the act or an instance of killing a large number of humans indiscriminately and cruelly.

rampage -- a course of violent, frenzied behavior or action

shooting -- a wounding or killing with a firearm

The Virginia Tech event was indeed a massacre, a rampage and a shooting. But it is not the 'deadliest' or 'worst' massacre or rampage or shooting in US history. Take two events involving minorities as victims:

--> In 1921, 39 black Tulsans were killed in a widespread attack of North Tulsa after an (erroneous) report of a sexual assault of a white woman by a black man. Ten thousand were left homeless in the clash started by scores of white Tulsans -- some attacks were by airplane! All as authorities watched -- and in fact may have aided -- locals. The lack of order allows this event to be called a 'rampage.'

--> In 1890, some 500 US military surrounded a few hundred Lakota Sioux -- this well after the 'Sioux Wars' had ceased. The Sioux were engaged in an unmilitarized 'Ghost Dance' when shooting broke out. At least 300 Sioux (nearly all unarmed, and including many women and children) were killed, and 25 soldiers by 'friendly fire.' This may not be a 'rampage,' but it's definitely a 'massacre' and a 'shooting.'

In lighter news, a truck carrying bunnies overturned on the highway between Budapest and Vienna yesterday, closing the highway as authorities tried to collect 5000 bunnies hopping on the four-lane road. The FBO may be alone, but didn't realize there was such a need for bunnies in Vienna these days.

FBO Admin
Mobile/Semi-Permanent HQ -- Brooklyn, NY