91+ people slaughtered in Norway's capital

[Davina, The Modster]

I have a love/hate relationship with Norway and Scandinavia on a whole, but I was shocked to hear the news that over 91 people were assassinated in Oslo yesterday. Never in a million years would I ever wish this on them, or anyone, for that matter. It's unbelievable. Violence like this doesn't happen in Norway, ever. It's one of the most peaceful, safest countries on the planet. When I lived there I never felt scared walking home alone at 3am in the morning. I never walked and had to look over my shoulder. Ever.
We sleep with our windows and doors open. You let your children out to play and don't expect them home until they're hungry. It's just not a place you associate with any type of violence aside from some petty theft and the occasional murder. But violence on this scale, mind blowing.

I'm utterly shattered at the loss. 91 people, mostly kids, teenagers. What on earth could that man have been thinking???

Everyone is saying it was an act of terrorism. As in Al-Queada, but the man the police have arrested and are holding responsible for the crime is a blond, blue-eyed Norwegian man. According to aftenposten.no, Norway's national newspaper, he's some sort of right wing extremist who hates Islam and Norway's immigrant population, and he targeted the Labour Party because of their politics on said issues.

If this is true, then this is home-grown terrorism. Even though what really happened and who this man is (and his connections) is still not clear, I was disappointed to see how many people were quick to lay the blame on muslims, which goes to show that islamophobia and racism is not imagined by the people who suffer it.

Anyway, I just feel so horrible for those kids. I can't believe this is happening.

[Samantha]

I haven't heard about this. Is there some article link that you could post. That's sad.

[Michelle]

I heard about this earlier this morning. It's beyond disturbing to me. My heart is breaking for everyone affected by this.

[Davina, The Modster]

Just do a google search of 'explosion Norway', Samantha. It's on all the leading news sites. You can't miss it.

I haven't been keep abreast of the situation through American media so I wouldn't know where to point you. Since I read and understand Norwegian I've mainly been following their local media for updates.

[Davina, The Modster]

The worse thing beyond the loss of so many young, innocent lives is that Anders Behring Breivik will only be sentenced to 21 years in prison (the maximum sentence any criminal, even the most heinous, can get in Norway) where he'll have all the creature comforts of a free man: a fairly big cell (not like the cobby holes here in the States and not likely to be shared), his own private TV, gym, free use of the rec area, the ability to move about on the hall of his cell as much as he likes, a kitchen where he can cook, as many books, porn magazines etc as he likes, expert medical care if he so much as catches a sniffle, free education if he so chooses and freedom when he's still a fairly young man, 53 years old (while his victims are in the ground, their bones dust, cold and white). There's no justice in the world.

[Samantha]

What??? That's crazy!