12-19-2012, 11:49 AM
I think, for the general public as a whole, it’s probably more NIMBY and selective ignorance (or apathy, in some cases) than it is racism. For example, the level of emotionalism felt by many here in the US regarding the Connecticut killings would be much lesser if the same exact scenario had gone down in Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand, likewise if it had happened in Mexico, Somalia, or China.
When a tragedy strikes closer to home (regionally and in terms of lifestyle/culture), people in general feel more connected and therefore emotionally affected, imo.
For me, the anger and sadness of an elementary school basically being turned into a slaughterhouse quickly gets overridden by a desire to understand how/why and what can be done to minimize chances of it happening again. Others with no direct connection to the incident are more emotionally impacted for a longer period of time and just need to grieve.
I guess the level of emotional impact amongst those affected probably varies a lot according to individual priorities, emotional capacity, selective ignorance (which is sometimes a healthy coping mechanism, imo), etc…
On a macro scale, it’s often difficult for me to really understand why the US intervenes in attempt to curb atrocities in some countries and not in others; same with international media coverage. Collective selective ignorance? Could be, in some cases. Could also be that it's best sometimes to do nothing, even when awareness is high, imo. Lots of social and political variables involved…
When a tragedy strikes closer to home (regionally and in terms of lifestyle/culture), people in general feel more connected and therefore emotionally affected, imo.
For me, the anger and sadness of an elementary school basically being turned into a slaughterhouse quickly gets overridden by a desire to understand how/why and what can be done to minimize chances of it happening again. Others with no direct connection to the incident are more emotionally impacted for a longer period of time and just need to grieve.
I guess the level of emotional impact amongst those affected probably varies a lot according to individual priorities, emotional capacity, selective ignorance (which is sometimes a healthy coping mechanism, imo), etc…
On a macro scale, it’s often difficult for me to really understand why the US intervenes in attempt to curb atrocities in some countries and not in others; same with international media coverage. Collective selective ignorance? Could be, in some cases. Could also be that it's best sometimes to do nothing, even when awareness is high, imo. Lots of social and political variables involved…