Noor
Citizen of the World
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2003
- Posts
- 32,263
John Donne
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
'No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee....'
The quote is from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Meditation_XVII written in 1624 by a man who thought he was probably dying at the time because he had sinned against in some way.
Unfortunately, many of us still carry the notion that people are victims because of something they did or choose to be rather than an unlucky bit of fate.
We ignore the constant killings in the inner cities because it is too overwhelming, is happening to people who we don't feel is one of us, and to those who somehow chose to be there. Although I am not sure how being born into poverty in a ghetto is something a person chooses
The terrorism in Paris hits most people like a ton of bricks because they can relate to the city, people and activities that were attacked.
It wasn't the usual target of synagogues which have a long history of being attacked in Paris, but indiscriminate, so anyone who was out and about in Paris at the time was and possibly still is at risk.
People who have no connection to Paris, and never will, are understandably not going to feel the same ways as those of us who have.
When I first heard about the Paris attacks, I thought of the Mumbai attacks in 2008 which started on November 2008. It was my birthday. I had people in the area of the attacks, one who used the Taj quite regularly so for me it was probably more disturbing than for most on LIT.
During that time the GB had the usual jokes and insensitive threads regarding the events. It was a while ago, but I didn't notice anyone getting really offended by the down right nasty posts probably because it didn't relate to them.
People are getting killed everyday all over the world. It doesn't mean that their deaths have no meaning, but it really depends on how you feel connected to those deaths that determine your response to a specific incident.
I don't think anyone is saying the Paris attacks don't matter, but to some deaths more closely connected to them are what they are focusing on.
I hate the phrase check your privilege but if this attack was in non-western country, directed specifically at the poor, non whites, and/or non Christian targets, would there be the same level of outcry on this board?
Meditation 17
Devotions upon Emergent Occasions
'No man is an iland, intire of it selfe; every man is a peece of the Continent, a part of the maine; if a clod bee washed away by the Sea, Europe is the lesse, as well as if a Promontorie were, as well as if a Mannor of thy friends or of thine owne were; any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee....'
The quote is from https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Meditation_XVII written in 1624 by a man who thought he was probably dying at the time because he had sinned against in some way.
Unfortunately, many of us still carry the notion that people are victims because of something they did or choose to be rather than an unlucky bit of fate.
We ignore the constant killings in the inner cities because it is too overwhelming, is happening to people who we don't feel is one of us, and to those who somehow chose to be there. Although I am not sure how being born into poverty in a ghetto is something a person chooses
The terrorism in Paris hits most people like a ton of bricks because they can relate to the city, people and activities that were attacked.
It wasn't the usual target of synagogues which have a long history of being attacked in Paris, but indiscriminate, so anyone who was out and about in Paris at the time was and possibly still is at risk.
People who have no connection to Paris, and never will, are understandably not going to feel the same ways as those of us who have.
When I first heard about the Paris attacks, I thought of the Mumbai attacks in 2008 which started on November 2008. It was my birthday. I had people in the area of the attacks, one who used the Taj quite regularly so for me it was probably more disturbing than for most on LIT.
During that time the GB had the usual jokes and insensitive threads regarding the events. It was a while ago, but I didn't notice anyone getting really offended by the down right nasty posts probably because it didn't relate to them.
People are getting killed everyday all over the world. It doesn't mean that their deaths have no meaning, but it really depends on how you feel connected to those deaths that determine your response to a specific incident.
I don't think anyone is saying the Paris attacks don't matter, but to some deaths more closely connected to them are what they are focusing on.
I hate the phrase check your privilege but if this attack was in non-western country, directed specifically at the poor, non whites, and/or non Christian targets, would there be the same level of outcry on this board?
i believe des(?) posted this up last night -if not des, someone else with a more enlightened attitude than too many reveled in late last night.
