Television has come to be much more than a source of entertainment in the lives of Americans and the rest of the world. We use our televisions to open our lives each morning to what is going on in the news, the latest fashion trends, ideas about what we'll have for dinner that evening, and the newest health and fitness suggestions. Often we will fall into the routine of watching our morning news programs, laughing along with the cheerful, smiling host and hostess, musing at the weather, furrowing our brow at the sad headlines, and wiping away tears after hearing the human interest stories. Sometimes we have the TV playing in the background, half-listening to what is going on in the world, a bit jaded to the latest talk about Israel, Iraq or Afghanistan; until something like September 11 happens. On September 11, 2001, we all sat up and noticed; we all stopped what we were doing, ignored whatever the equally shocked commentators were saying about the events, and simply stared.

Now, nearly four years later, we've had another such shock. On July 7, 2005, London was attacked by the same cowardly terrorist group that attacked the United States in 2001. Once again it was a vicious yet cowardly attack by individuals and a group that has no regard for the innocent, no regard for human life, and apparently, no regard for themselves or their honor, as they won't fight fair. Although I vehemently disagree with anything remotely related to Al Queda, common sense tells me these people have a right to their views and opinions; severely misguided as they may be. But they lose all credibility, even among themselves when they display such acts of cowardice. One has to wonder, do they really think they'll get what they want by blowing up innocent citizens of a country far from their own? Do they think the people of the free world will cater to their demands and bow to their so-called power? Do they think at all?

On July 7, we once again disregarded the rest of the news and the rest of the world's events. We sat glued to our televisions, horrified once more at the shock of seeing blood on the outside of people's bodies, smoking billowing and debris scattered everywhere. Perhaps, like seeing the towers fall on September 11, we will never forget the scene of the double-decker bus in London, split open as if with a can opener. Once again we were stopped in our tracks by what we saw on our televisions and, like the discussions at the G-8 summit and the talk by the news people, we were thrust back into survival mode and focused on what is really important. At times of tragedy like that, when we see such horror brought into our homes by means of the television, we forget the trivial; petty arguments, annoying politicians, minor disagreements. Instead, we are instantly reminded that the only things that really matter are our families, the people we love, and our faith in God. All the rest just melts away into TV land.