"Why is a Kundunese life worth less to me than an American life?"- Pres. Bartlett
"I don't know, Sir, but it is."- Will Bailey
[The West Wing, season 4 episode 13]
This quote, taken from one of the greatest television shows of our time, sums up in only the way someone like Aaron Sorkin could, just what is wrong with our society. Tonight, as I watched the news feeds, Facebook and Twitter, it was hard to escape that a terrible tragedy had taken place. What should have been a day of fun and celebration has tragically ended with death and injury.
My heart goes out to the people of Boston, it truly does. And some measure of faith in humanity was restored as I witnessed people running toward danger in an effort to help. However, something else dawned on me this evening-something as terrible as the scenes witnessed in Boston. And simply it's this; as a culture, we have become so self-absorbed that we often fail to see beyond our own needs, our own desires and our own tragedies. As news feeds were relaying minute by minute accounts of the scenes in Boston, very few were talking about horrors elsewhere. In Iraq today, another bomb killed dozens and injured hundreds. Not that I want to compare the scale of tragedies, but why was it that we were getting blow by blow accounts of events in Boston, but very little was said about Iraq? Why does it seem that our western tragedies eclipse the tragedy elsewhere? Why is an "American" (western) life worth more than an Iraqi life? Or Afghan? Or African?
What does it say about us as a society that we are outraged/shocked/upset when one of our own die, but hundreds could die elsewhere, and by sheer virtue of geography, we give little thought to it? The events in Boston today will have scarred a community and left families devastated at the loss and maiming of loved ones. My prayers are with them. But they won't be the only ones whose world will have been torn apart today. And they won't be the last! Tragedy surrounds us in this world. We must be careful we don't become complacent or ignorant to it, just because it often isn't on our doorsteps!
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4 comments:
I think perhaps that is more due to human nature in general. We have always been more concerned with the goings on in our own back yard than we are in the backyard of the folks two towns away. I'm sure Iraq news had little to say about the Boston bombings yesterday as they too were preoccupied with their own tragedy.
This is true Gert, and I certainly wouldn't imagine the people caught up in these tragedies would be giving much thought to anything other than their own circumstances (which is certainly understandable). However, for the rest of us, there is often an inappropriate focus! Of course we should empathise with the people of Boston, but what about the other tragedies that go on in the world that we pay little attention to (something of which I'm guilty of as well).
I'm not saying I have all the answers, but I wish we could be as sympathetic, and as motivated to action when tragedies occur in places like Iraq, or Africa.
It says we are human and we are not perfect.
Very true Anonymous. However that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive to better ourselves, our understanding or our attitudes. I'm not saying I have formulated a perfect response, but I feel it's important to raise awareness of these issues.
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