May 7 2007 Legal Blog Roundup

It was pretty hard to retrieve something original from that media-hyped mess, but at the week's end, I'm proud to have found something refreshing (and non-sickening) for our readers.

Anne Applebaum's views on the global media reaction to the Virginia Tech massacre posted at Slate are revealing. According to Applebaum, what happened at Virginia Tech proves something we already know but find hard to take for granted.


America is the face of the world. And America is constantly watched by the world. Applebaum says that after 9/11, media connections among communities across the globe were not unexpected given the international nature of the World Trade Center, but similar treatment of Virginia Tech by the global media could hardly have been expected. However, it was there.

It was there because the American community truly encompassed the global village; the dead at Blacksburg had kinship ties with places all over the world. They had ties with Israel, with Poland, and with Canada. There were natives of Peru, India, Egypt, Vietnam, and Indonesia among the murdered, and the killer himself was from South Korea.

This new breed of local communities with international ties is everywhere. And, Applebaum concludes, "Whatever American community you touch nowadays, for good or for ill, there are international repercussions." Her post says much more, and I'm sure you'll find her views intriguing.

Next on the docket is "The Queer Thing About School Shooters" at The Republic of T. Don't forget to read parts one and two of this excellent blog. You'll find the article well-researched and very different from the usual pieces of copycat scribbling strewn throughout the web.

Moving on, it's all politics and lobbying at The Blog of Legal Times, with snippets about Abramoff, Mark Zachares, and Monica Goodling spread around in liberal doses. Judiciously, this mix is topped with news about the Dow Jones and investments, reaffirming that where there's news about money, there's news about politics.

I'll end this non-linear babbling by referring you to Melissa Waters' post on "Miss America Joining America's Most Wanted" at Concurring Opinions. Whether the subject's serious or not, it was fun reading something cool.