 The Proper Perspective / The Tragedy of Numbers |
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posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 07.07.05 (9:45 pm) It's probably a good thing I didn't happent o be visiting Juni's place of work today. Not only would the confrontation mode be in full swing, but my high and mighty cold war background would have been raging in full glory. I mean, come on! The United States is actually last in line at something - joining the club of nations who've been plagued with casualties of terrorist activity. So, because the number was fairly high in one go, we've suddenly moved to the front? Is our suffering somehow greater than others? Ridiculous. ONE person dying in that subway blast would have been too much. To equate importance of loss of life in numbers is sheer stupidity. How unaffected can you be? I think I saw those two girls' moms hangin out at the fence around the Murrah building many years ago. They were the ones with curlers in their hair, smacking on gum and saying, 'Hey, honey, come a look ovah here. (*smack, smack, -pop-*) Lookit thatun.' Your baby birds are lovely. Amazing that you were able to take that picture. Our new baby birds weren't so lucky. I fear they didn't make it. If they would just stay put in those little nests their moms make for them, everything would be alright. -sigh- posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.07.05 (9:57 pm) Reply to: lindy Oddly, when I was quite young I used to have a recurring nightmare about a war in which newscasters on television joked about the number of war related causalities from various towns in my home state... glibly suggesting that the town with the most casualties was somehow the "winner." In my dream the horror was not the war itself, but the kind hardening of the human heart that must take place in order to transform death into a competition. Tonight… I’m saddened to think that perhaps we live in that world. As for the birds… I don’t know that they’ll make it. I hope so… but sometimes it’s good to see up close just how fragile life is. You’re right though… if only they’d stay in their little nests. posted by: lindy (reply) post date: 07.08.05 (5:01 am) Reply to: juniperflux Hmmm. Completely unrelated: I was just thinking about the different ways people demonstrate compassion. Some demonstrate it on a one-on-one basis with a particular person whom they have befriended and feel a need to help, others take things to people in need they've never met. Is one better than the other? Does one outweigh the other? Something to think about, isn't it. I suppose it comes back to the idea that trying to categorize people's suffering by what causes it is dangerous in that we do take on a Godly roll in trying to determine who is worthy of compassion and assistance and who is not. Woo. Okay, stepping down. Just felt like having a spout. posted by: jennjr (reply) post date: 07.08.05 (6:51 am) I'm still shaking my head. I would like to explain that it's still oh, about 50 too many people... The babies are darling. posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.08.05 (7:30 am) Reply to: jennjr I know. The entire thing was terribly disappointing and infuriating. I was left feeling, in equal measure, angry and empty. I hate to admit it, but I feel a little better having posted their conversation here, because even if they never know it, a few smart people have taken a few much deserved swings at them. Hey! Thanks for your comment! :) j posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.08.05 (7:39 am) Reply to: lindy Hmmm. This is an interesting question and one that I have been thinking about (at least indirectly). Honestly, I this is one of those rare instances wherein I think that the ends may very well justify the means. I don't believe that one form of compassion can be judged more worthy or valuable than another... as long as the kindness is felt and the goodness is put out into the world, I'd have trouble rating such acts on some arbitrary scale. Of course, that said, there is something to be said about acts of kindness that involve true personal sacrifice versus those that don't. Hmmmm. I've just thrown a monkey wrench in my own logic. :) Feel free to spout here whenever you like. posted by: rinna (reply) post date: 07.08.05 (11:49 pm) Death is death, it's as simple as that - it's all suffering. I got a little heated with a few American friends way back when, who didn't think the Bali Bombings were as devastating as 9/11. posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 07.09.05 (11:07 am) Reply to: juniperflux "but the kind hardening of the human heart that must take place in order to transform death into a competition. Tonight… I’m saddened to think that perhaps we live in that world." We do live in that world. Those newscasters work for Fox News. See my latest post for evidence. I'm very pleased I wasn't there to witness the conversation you've recounted here. I would have been able to keep my mouth shut and those girls would have received a browbeating they wouldn't soon forget. It made me hopping mad just reading about it. posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 07.09.05 (11:09 am) or *would not*. Muppet. posted by: seagrass (reply) post date: 07.09.05 (4:37 pm) and what of this account? I'll take David Gray's phrenetic music anyday. I don't want to report the horror of a friend's first hand account who lives 3 blocks from King's Cross...you might imagine it on his face as he reports nightly on a national news show (not Fox BBear). There isn't any way to flush out an invisible enemy. Mess'n with the British will backfire though. Vigilance is to Helplessness as water is to fire...suppress, contain...then reform. And kick the idiots out of office... posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (8:12 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear Well "muppet" (muppet?) I appreciate you stopping by and offering your two cents worth of displeasure. If nothing else, I've enjoyed seeing these girls get their "arses" kicked even if they are blissfully unaware of it. As for Fox News... don't get me started. *wink* posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (8:13 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear I repeat: muppet? :) posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (8:16 pm) Reply to: seagrass Clearly, ignorance is an attribute that crosses cultural lines, although we seem to have more than our fair share over here. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate the company. j posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (9:00 pm) Reply to: juniperflux On the muppet thing, that was self-chastisement for making such a dumn but crucial error in my previous post. It means the same as "Fool" or "Idiot" or other things I wouldn't sully your comment thread with. It's a British thing. Ask tJ. As for the girls, yes, I note that they've taken a pasting. Maybe we should force them to read your blog so they'd get the message? ;-) posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (9:05 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear A-ha! Thanks for clearing things up. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not one to discredit a person's writing based on a couple of silly typos (or in your case one). j posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (9:12 pm) Reply to: juniperflux No, but in this case it actually reversed the meaning of what I was trying to say, so it was quite important and needed me to fix it up. It wasn't for fear of being discredited. On another note, interesting how far off popular belief can be from time to time eh? posted by: juniperflux (reply) post date: 07.10.05 (9:32 pm) Reply to: BerlinBear Indeed. In fact, I think as a general rule, I tend to be suspicious of what the masses swallow hook line and sinker. Call me crazy, but I I'd rather miss the boat completely than be the first in line aboard a sinking ship. posted by: BerlinBear (reply) post date: 07.11.05 (7:57 am) Reply to: juniperflux Oh really? Interesting. Einstein would have loved you. :-) |
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