re: #22 austin_blue

Okay, I’m going to post this and then duck. But I think it’s important.

Two days ago, a crazy fucking shitbag, or maybe two, placed some bombs in Boston. They killed three people and caused almost 200 injuries, including traumatic amputations, the photos of which were posted around the world.

It was awful, and shocked the nation.

Earlier tonight, an industrial accident in a small town called West, Texas, killed, at last report, 70 people, including six first responders.

As cynical as this comment is, which incident will remain in the public eye?

And why?

Dead is fucking dead.

Compared to workplace or industrial incidents, being killed by a terrorist attack is infinitesimally small.

Are we that interested in commercial ad ratings, or the common good?

I’m serious. Please discuss.

I guess there is something to acceptable risk that causes a terrible incident like this to be somehow less important than the events in Boston.
That the people who lived there knew about the fertilizer plant and should be aware of the danger, whereas the people of Boston were just out for a sporting event.
Doesn’t make it right or even sensible, but maybe that’s part of it anyway.

FWIW, I am seeing conflicting reports…that 70 is the number of injured so far, not dead. But we probably wont know the facts until much later.