Why is everyone so upset about grief being shown for France? Did I miss the memo about France being a humanitarian red herring?
I get it, there’s tragedy everywhere, every day—not just in France. Most of us are quite aware of that fact. I don’t think the suffering in Beirut and Turkey escaped the radar of conscientious individuals.
But if you’re actually angry because it appears as though there’s a current monopoly on the outpouring of sadness for France and not other countries that you rightfully consider to be just as worthy of compassion and outrage, think this through a little.
Isn’t that like being upset because everyone knows about the epic sinking of the Titanic as opposed to the Edmund Fitzgerald?
Both were devastating in their own right, but to spew venom at people because they didn’t know about the latter is missing the point.
The issue here is awareness. Our awareness is more linear because of what we’re fed through the media, but it doesn’t mean we care less about the suffering happening elsewhere. If you’re a compassionate human being with a pulse, of course you care. You just may not be as aware of the anguish elsewhere because it’s not being fed to you 24/7 on CNN—which makes it a media issue or a ratings issue, not a humanitarian one.
And here’s where opportunity presents itself: The France atrocities can be used as a learning tool to direct our attention to a wider scope of similar mayhem taking place every day, all over the globe.
But you have to help.
This occasion for increased awareness can only be realized if it comes from the positive standpoint of educating people, not ridiculing them, because that’s essentially what some are doing: chastising people for not being aware of ALL the suffering in the world, which is—to say the least—a lofty goal.
Be a proactive force! While you join in the respectful mourning of France, use your worldly views to help paint the bigger picture for those of us who are not as globally aware. But use the brush of betterment on your canvas, not the sword of self-righteousness and judgement.
This will sound a little harsh, but let’s face it: People are sheep. Thinking for ourselves can be difficult work. Some of us want to be told what to mourn for and on what scale. On the whole, we’re not mean or stupid, just rather impressionable.
Naturally, we all have our cultural or, perhaps, religious affiliations that can dictate our degree of outrage surrounding any tragic situation that has terrorism as its moniker; but when we see calamity on any scale, we know enough to feel compassion and offer solace.
Don’t shut that down. Broaden it through awareness. Become part of the solution as opposed to pissing all over the problem.
ihateyogabook 