An Observation

June 20th, 2011: 151,000 people died throughout the world today.
Some died of cancer.
Some died of trauma, related to suicide bombs, unsuspecting and innocent except for living in a dangerous part of the world.
Some died in surgery.
Some died in their beds at home with family at their side.
Some died of Military Interventions, in Libya, some died in Africa and many had no idea a trip to the market was going to be that dangerous.
Every day about 150,000 human beings die.
Every day some die at their own hands, pill, hanging, exsanguination, overdose, drugs, alcohol.
Yesterday it was announced that a certain person associated with the Jackass Movies died in a high speed Porsche crash.
It was suspected that alcohol was involved.
Where does this piece of news rate among all of the other deaths?
It is a death, it is sad, it did not have to happen.
Roger Ebert tweeted about it and was castigated.
Grief should not be the vehicle for attack.
I prayed for the soul of the person, I know this is "passé" in modern society but I also prayed for the many innocent victims of random and non-selective violence.
We as humans have free will and if we choose to use bad judgement and die as a result, at least we had the choice and the possibility of a different outcome.
Many of those who died yesterday didn't have the choice.