BLOODY SUNDAY

Other than wondering whether we'll join Israel in a war with Iran, Americans are largely unconcerned and uninformed about the violence taking place in other parts of the world. That's too bad, because our collective indifference and ignorance are why Americans fail to grasp the reasons for turmoil in other lands. It also explains why our nation continues to repeat past mistakes in dealing with that turmoil.

Here's a brief recap of yesterday's headline grabbing violence in places other than America:

Yemen: 106 soldiers were killed in battles with al-Qaeda fighters.

Nigeria: 4 police officers were ambushed and killed by rebels fighting the Nigerian government.

Iraq: 27 security officers were gunned down by a separatist group.

Algeria: Dozens were seriously wounded in an attack on an Algerian military base by a-Qaeda fighters.

Turkey: A bomb planted by Kurdish separatists exploded near the Turkish Prime Minister's residence; nobody was killed but one man was seriously injured in the blast.

Mali: 3 soldiers were killed in an attack initiated by Tuareg separatist fighters.

In non-violent, but deadly incidents, the following was reported:

Guinea: Dozens died when a bus full of passengers drove off a cliff.

Congo: Over two hundred (200) people died and scores more were wounded when a munitions factory exploded.

Yesterday was a bloody Sunday. Many people lost their lives to senseless violence. Hundreds more died in avoidable accidents. Let's not forget the violence or the reasons behind it. If we want tomorrow to be less bloody, doing so is an imperative.