Today is a very sad day for Polish TV journalism

[Kalliope]

The most brilliant Polish TV journalist - war correspondent Waldemar Milewicz and his producer, Polish-Algerian Mounir Bouamrane have been killed 30 kilometres from Baghdad today morning. I'm still in shock and I will miss him very much. It's a great loss for Polish TV journalism.
Read the whole story here: http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/07/iraq.poland/index.html

[Antrobus]

I heard that on CNN. So sorry. So often newsreporters become our faithful "friends" and when something happens to them we feel like we've lost a member of our own family. :(

I'll never forget how sad I felt when NBC's David Bloom died in Iraq.

[Jeff O'Connor]

That's sad. People that make such positive changes in the world... will always be mourned by the masses and it's always a sorrowful event. :(

[Nicola]

Yes. This has been a difficult day.

[VBKatLou]

Yes, I read that story this morning. It's a sad day for all of journalism. If the press is not free to report what is going on in the world, we will be making decisions based upon no information.

[Third EYe]

Don't go rabid on me, but I have to ask.

Who is the "we" that is making descisions?

There are other ways of getting information other than reporters.

Was yesterday any less dificult than today? Will tomorrow be less or more dificult?

I'm serious.

It's terrible when anyone dies under such circumstances. I understand why this is hitting Kalliope the way it is. It brings up an interesting question, one that I ask myself all the time. I'm not sure how to ask the question. I may botch this up, so feel free to question me on my question.

Using the terrorist attacks that have been occuring around the world as the example. When an attack happens in a far away land, whether or not your fellow countrymen were involved in the casualty count, does it affect you as much as when it happens at home?

I remember driving home on 9/11 after spending the day at work so angry I thought I would explode. I looked at the faces in the other cars as I hurtled down the highway trying to get home so I could watch the horror on TV.

I've noticed that since then, I do it almost daily. Same thoughts going thru my head, do they know? Do they care?

I have in the past just glanced over the news dealing with some terrorist attack. Since 9/11 it's been diferent. I've always been aware of terrorism, to a fault, to paranoia in some instances. What changed for me?

Has it changed for you? (anyone)

What concerns me is being politically correct. Meaning that if someone desires me to have sentiments because it is the right thing to do, then I'll have them, or say I have them.

I'm not saying that is happening here, not at all.

I never heard of Waldemar Milewicz or Mounir Bouamrane but I'm sure that someone is devestated today over thier deaths, more than just someone. This is where my mind goes, and it never used to.

[Antrobus]

I feel that one reacts in accordance to how "close to home" the event/people/situation is to them. Something that happens in your own backyard is felt much more strongly by yopu than something that happens in a backyard miles away from you - involving people you don't know.

Saying that, one can express sympathy and understanding when they can relate someone else's pain to something similar in their own life. I was not familiar with the Polish news people that were murdered, but obviously the Polish people were and are they are grieving right now.

Like I mentioned in my post, I felt so sad and dismayed over David Bloom's death (which was of natural causes) in Iraq. I feel I can relate on some level to the Polish peoples' grief because I have some level of understanding of how they're feeling.

Many times people dismiss others' pain/grief because they don't understand where its coming from. One doesn't need to understand where it comes from. If a person is looking for sympathy and understanding following something that's traumatic to them, then it's always helpful to simply acknowledge their grief and give it validation. You don't neccesarily have to understand someone's grief in order to offer them a little comfort.