I have to say that I am not an Ariana Grande fan- I am a cynical man in his forties who really doesn't dig her brand of pop music. That is precisely why I am so horrified at the suicide bombing which killed twenty-two of her fans. The attack specifically targeted young people, particularly girls. The survivors of the attack, including Ms Grande herself, will carry a bit of survivors' guilt and a great deal of anxiety... something that I wouldn't wish on anyone, especially an adolescent.
There's a certain surreal quality to this particular tragedy, the role of social media in disseminating information about the fallen. The goofy selfies and whimsical photomanipulations culled from the kodds' various apps are jarring when contrasted with the stark crime scene images.
Around noon, I just had to get away from the media coverage- I headed down to the American Museum of Natural History to immerse myself in the butterfly exhibit. At first, it felt a bit unreal, standing in a warm chamber full of friendly people while enchanting, bejeweled creatures flitted around us... but then I realized that THIS was reality- the ideologies and theologies which lead a fanatic to murder children are unreal, not the marvels of nature. Then realization hit again, the beauties of the natural world are imperiled by human foolishness, just like the beautiful lives of children who just want to enjoy a night of music and joy. Solace achieved, solace abandoned...
I'm not an Ariana Grande fan, but I have friends whose children are, and that is precisely why the Manchester madness has me so angry.
I have to stop watching it. I have read that watching too much tragic news on television puts people in a low-key state of panic all of the time beyond what they even realize.
ReplyDeleteWhich is probably why people who watch too much TV news advocate such stupid things on behalf of the government and foreign countries.
Stick with the butterflies as much as you can, I say...
It's also critical to realize how complicit we all are in these crimes. Murdering a bunch of kids at a concert really accomplishes nothing for the responsible organization. It's the breathless, wall-to-wall coverage that provides the effective outcomes they seek. The fear, the distrust, the erosion of democratic principles and most of all, the anger and hatred. These Islamist organizations NEED western hatred. They can't survive, indeed, cannot exist, in a world that is tolerant and embraces diversity. Creating the LePens and the Trumps and the Erdogans and trying to force a global muslim vs christian or shi'ite vs sunni endless war is the goal.
ReplyDeleteIf we - our societies, our species - could ever figure out how to limit the coverage and demonstrate courage, strength and resolve in the face of these attacks, they would have to eventually give up and try something else. That's the only 'answer', and it doesn't seem to be within reach...