I consider myself fairly well-read and I did not hear about the bombings in Beirut (which happened Thursday before the Friday bombings in Paris) until Sunday. The media, which has become too narrowly focused, offers only the points of views of its owners now, points of views which I do not share. I love all of humanity, not just the ones I feel some cultural connection with. I should not have to read the newspapers in other countries to feel like I have a better, more well-rounded view of the world, but I do and I must.
To put this in perspective, when 32 people at Virginia Tech were murdered, it was a global story. When 43 people die by suicide bombings in Beirut, we hear nothing. Are we that immune to the suffering of others? Is it us or the media? Or both?
We are a world, not a nation. When will we realize that we are all connected? We are not islands unto ourselves. Even if we wanted to do it, corporations would not stand for closed borders and loss of trade. That's all bluster and buffoonery.
This world operates on many levels. I cannot do a thing about the powerful who control what goes on, but I can still open my mind, read, and learn. I can formulate my own opinions. My opinions, generally, are not the same as the ones who control things. It is as if the world operates on more than one axis, and I swirl around on one and others on another.
If I could tell people one thing, it would be to read and reach outside of their bubble of information. I read right-wing and liberal things. I wish everyone would.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/14/us-mideast-crisis-lebanon-idUSKCN0T314120151114#iW5eo4vu5c0ZxJG2.97
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/11/beirut-paris-attacks-151115075935564.html
I read different views as well.... but I still liked it better when we were more of a nation and less of a world. There has been nothing but turmoil since becoming so global.
ReplyDeleteWhen I wrote my journal entry about the attacks around the world in November (http://www.funnytheworld.com/2015/Nov/25.htm), I was shocked to see how many there were and how we really only heard about Paris. We are such a self-absorbed country!
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