Trade-off rescuers lives for the Utah Miners???

Some of the press can be completely stupid sometimes, and in his latest Washington Times column, Thomas Sowell proves that point by suggesting that there was no point in rescuing the trapped miners in Utah.

A whole nation following the tragedy of a Utah mine cave-in was struck by the further tragedy of another cave-in at the same mine, killing men who had gone underground to try to rescue the miners trapped there.

The second tragedy was avoidable — but only if we were willing to talk about human life in terms of tradeoffs. But our society has become too squeamish to do so.

He then tries to justify his callousness by resoundingly condemning any thought that it might be compassion.

Tradeoffs are inescapable in every aspect of life. But anyone who talks about tradeoffs when life is at stake is likely to be denounced as lacking compassion, if not cruel. Squeamishness is too often confused with humanity, but the consequence of squeamishness can be needless suffering and needless deaths

Thomas Sowell, how can you know what compassion is, if you have none? How can you write that, utterly condemning every fireman, policeman, doctor, coastguard and every other member of the emergency and medical services for whom compassion is not an option, it's a way of life.

The only thing that was needless here, was your inane rantings about a tragedy. Rantings, which will cause more hurt and suffering to the families of those who have died in that mine. Sometimes, just sometimes, for the greater good of the human race, it is better that views like yours, Thomas, are not published, thereby not causing further unnecessary and needless suffering, the very thing you claim to want to save people from.

Thomas Sowell's column is worthy of nothing but a nomination on MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann's Worst Person In The World segment. Heck, it could even win it.