If we are going to put our compassion on display, let's not be selective about it, eh? [marked-for-expiry]-- DrBob, Apr 19 2013 http://www.bbc.co.u...rld-africa-22203939 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u...world-asia-22196916 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u...world-asia-22181135 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u.../world-cup/22156991 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u...iddle-east-22209841 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u...-us-canada-22219735 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] http://www.bbc.co.u...rld-africa-22165585 [DrBob, Apr 19 2013] just so long as we don't practice selective disdain, selective political commentary and selective memory, that's all good. Or rather all bad, I guess.-- theircompetitor, Apr 19 2013 valid so long as it is consistent. allowing terrorists to change the content of the HB is giving them to much leeway. also, as a citizen of the states I have to say that vigor of our emotional response is a big part of the problem.-- WcW, Apr 19 2013 Actually, I think it would be unnatural *not* to be more affected by events closer to home than elsewhere.
I'm less affected by the Boston bombings than I would be by similar events in London; and in turn less affected by those than I would be by similar events in my nearest town; or in my village. It's natural. Perhaps not good, but natural.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Apr 19 2013 I get out of the house early in the morning, and on my way to work, notice flags flying at half-mast... maybe a school massacre, or some politician long past his best-before date, or victims of an earthquake, or the local mayor's mother-in-law - I'd like some way of finding out what this morning's mourning is without having to walk into work asking, "Hey! Who's dead?"
If there was something which kind of localized each event, maybe we'd gain a little global awareness.-- lurch, Apr 20 2013 In my view [MB] and [21] are both right. We are human and have natural responses, as well we should. I doubt [21] would want to give his shpiel to one of the many who had both legs blown off in Boston. That would be insensitive to their situation. At the same time, we as the millions of Americans who were not blown up need to, after experiencing the grief that we feel, follow action based on logic. (Probably this is trite, but maybe needs to be said.)-- sqeaketh the wheel, Apr 20 2013 Wholeheartedly in agreement with 21 Quest. I'm marking my calendar as I speak.-- RayfordSteele, Apr 22 2013 21Quest's now since deleted post:
[[Unnatural, maybe. But we have the ability and, I'd suggest, also the responsibility to take a more level- headed, reasoned approach to the way we react through the news media. It could be said (in fact, has BEEN said) that monogamy is unnatural. Democracy is unnatural ('might makes right' being the natural way to run things). Birth control is unnatural. Do you see where I'm going with this? When we react with shock and dismay to an action deliberately calculated to cause shock and dismay, we let the terrorists win. We give them exactly what they want.
There was a comment made earlier on this topic about children putting up with bullies. Here's my response: You don't teach a kid to jump up and down hollering and making a spectacle of himself. You teach the kid to do one of two things, depending on your philosophy regarding violence: Turn the other cheek and report the incident to a teacher, or respond in kind by beating the pulp out of the bully.
By all means, crowdsource the search for the assailant if need be, just like they did with these Chechen terrorists. But leave out the raw emotions, the outrage and the shock. Don't respond with heat. Respond with cold, reptilian calmness. Say "Ok, so THAT was your best shot. 3 Americans dead in a crowd of thousands. Good for you. You must be quite the accomplished bomb-maker. Smithers.... release the hounds." ]]-- RayfordSteele, Aug 04 2020 random, halfbakery