Not sure if this belongs here, but
this is just my own comments and what I've observed because we've been hearing this statement alot
"In the US, mass child killings are tragedies. In Pakistan, mere bug splats"This is just my opinions and observations from an American point of view. So why?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/dec/17/us-killings-tragedies-pakistan-bug-splatsUnexpectedIn war torn regions causalities are always expected no matter how careful the military is. So when a child is a part of that casualty the American public and many in the global community don't even blink an eye. Be it in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Palestine.
We've become so numb to hearing these causalities on a daily basis it does not phase many.Now compare that to any kind of tragedy in any region of the world (US and Europe) which is not involved in war. Not just the US but also the Norway shooter. A lot of attention. Why? Because it's unexpected. The people in the West don't have terrorist or foreign armies constantly trying to destroy the society. So that said, any sort of unexpected mass death is treated with such shock.
However, that being said that doesn't mean that any life is valued any more than the next. The reaction of society determines how much attention they put on it.
Degree of grieving by society and politics tangled inIn Newtown right now, there are so many memorials and so many different organizations coming in to help the grieving, on television there are tributes to the victims. I went to an American football yesterday and before the game started there was a moment of silence for the victims... Now compare that to the reaction of the death of the children in Afghanistan in their communities. Like I said I can't speak because I don't get news from there, but I'm sure it's not made as big a deal by the community EXCEPT for political reasons. Then the victims are forgotten the next week. No tributes, no memorials, just another number in a the war. And if Afghanistan treats it as such then so does the global community
Politics mixed into the deaths of people ruins the grieving experience. For example, the children that got killed in Palestine, the first thing done before the funeral to raise the body of the child and use the death to bolster political feelings . In the Us even though gun violence is the political storm surrounding this tragedy it comes second. The feelings and grief is first, then after afterwards comes discussion for the tragedy. The same cannot be said for war torn countries. Which is not their fault because the death of child through war will spark more anger than grief. But does that have to be the case?
The parents of Newtown could have been leading rallies against gun violence, and be angry at the people they 'felt' allowed that to happen. But they don't. So more people globally can rally around them, in their sadness. But it's harder to rally around people who use the deaths of children/people for fuel for anger, hate and political fodder which is what happens in warn torn countries. In fact! The child that was killed in Palestine
the most people that came out for the family showed up for angry rallies... then once the rally was over calling for the death of Israel, everyone left and the family was left to grieve alone. It should be the other way around. So when the global world sees this, it ruins the sympathy. It's been the 4th day since the tragedy and there are STILL people with the families of the victims for support. There is no reason why a family in Israel can't feel the pain of losing a child alongside a Palestinian family. But thanks to politics the humanity is gone. And that's just tragic. And the it becomes a matter of which country deserves the most sympathy.
Anger versus SadnessFor someone to be taken away suddenly from their family it is inevitable for the survivors to feel anger at how that could happen. However,
the feelings of anger if it overtakes the emotion of sadness of losing the victim then it takes away from the sympathy worldwide.I'll take another example. The shooting of that Jewish child in France. Obviously not a big attention as Newtown but still more global awareness than a death of a child in Afghanistan or Pakistan which goes unnoticed. Did the Jewish community rally around in anger at Muslims in the France chanting hateful slogans? Now back to the death of a child at the hands of Israel in Palestine, everyone rallies around in anger and call for more blood. Then it no longer becomes about the death and sadness. The Western world, cannot sympathize with the hate therefore they do not 'care' sadly about the children lost. However, the Western world can sympathize with the sadness of a family so whenever a tragedy occurs and that sadness is focused on then more people worldwide will join together in grieving.
Obama's reaction and how leaders reactAnd the big criticism is the president. Why would he shed tears for the kids in Newtown rather than the ones caught up in conflict at the hands of drone strikes. Well, first off they are their kids in his country, and the hurt is obviously going to be more. Whenever a tragedy happens American leaders make sure to be their in the flesh for support. I'm not so sure for other Middle Eastern countries. Perhaps the reaction of the leaders contribute to if the tragedies are a big deal or not. In America, we make a BIG deal of any tragedy. And we remember it for a long time. I'm not sure if I can say the same thing in the Middle East. I do like the fact that some leaders did visit the victims in Palestine, and I think it did help ALOT putting the spotlight on the family that was lost in the Israeli strike. However, like my previous point, the sadness was lost in hate and anger so the global community lost some of it's sympathy.
My last point is there are a lot of factors why the victims in America are a big deal and the ones in Afghanistan and other places aren't. My opinion is, that is all boils down to how society reacts to the death of its citizens and how death is treated. Death should be treated with respect and not used as political fodder, or a means for calling for more blood.
The focus should always be on the families and the people who are suffering a lose.
If anyone has any other thoughts or disagree please share. I am not in the Middle East so I am interested to hear how things are on that side.
Topic: In the US, mass child killings are tragedies. In Pakistan, mere bug splats