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talk about a kick in the gut
Apr. 21st, 2013 06:57 amdouble inhuman update!
(with inks here and here on DA)
wow. okay, so, double update aside? i wish i could say this was another quiet week. but obviously, that wasn't the case.
as many folks know, i live in massachusetts. i have friends in boston and surrounding areas, and it turned out family members were within two blocks of the bombing on monday. it was a very harrowing week for me. i am really amazed at how quickly and effectively the boston PD executed a manhunt, and am amazed they took him alive. i did not think that would happen at all.
but one thing i have seen a lot of this week disturbs me, and that is this sense of "you can't be sad/worried, someone ELSE has tragedy in the world!" this is kind of...broken logic. when tragedy strikes, you feel empathy - that's the normal human thing to do. but if tragedy strikes close to home, it hits your emotional core harder than if it's across the world in a place you have never been and don't have ties to. and there's nothing wrong with this. this is normal. this shows you care about your home town, your friends, your loved ones. there's no reason to feel shameful over that. and the notion that one human suffering is more 'worthy' of concern than another? is also broken thinking.
all suffering is suffering. it is all worthy of concern. no suffering is invalid simply because it comes from a certain place.
to say we don't care because we're being most vocal about a suffering which touches us personally is unfair. it is, if anything, a low blow. humans survive by showing solidarity for our tribes - be those tribes family, friends, citizens of our city, citizens of our coastline, citizens of our country or of another country all together. where our emotional bonds are, that is where our tribes are. that is how we survive. that is how we have always survived. it does your tribe little good if you mourn for a stranger at the expense of neglecting your own sickly. you should not be made to feel guilty for caring for your own. you should not be made to feel guilty for caring. period.
the people of boston and her visting friends were stunning this week. the citizens reacted in ways i had almost forgot people could - with bravery, with kindness. they gave so much blood that the hospitals were at capacity within the hour. they gave away food, shelter, cell phone charges to complete strangers who were trapped during the initial bomb sweeping. they ran towards the blasts to help, not away. they listened to police. they helped the police. when the police said to stop tweeting scanner feeds during the manhunt, people did.
and when they rejoiced, it was with a relief and sense of closure i didn't know a city could feel.
let no one make you feel guilty for your compassion, boston. let no one make you feel unease for your rejoicing. you are an amazing and beautiful city. you are full of amazing and beautiful people, with amazing and beautiful friends and allies. and let no one in this time tell you otherwise.
there's a poisonous attitude on the internet these days, one which seems determined to rob people of the validity of their own feelings and experiences. it's often sold as 'social justice' but the real name for it? is nihilism. or maybe cynicism. or maybe just 'tragedy hipster.' unless a cause is so underground that it's never been heard of, your empathy or feelings for it mean nothing. it's not to say that there aren't causes which need more attention - there are - but no cause should be promoted solely on the basis of cutting down the emotional and personal struggles of others and saying they mean nothing. all humans are capable of suffering. all of us can experience inconcievable times of hardship. it's been said before - it's how we overcome it that defines us.
to tell someone there is no hardship simply because of where they live, or the colour of their skin, or their diet, or their sexual orientation, or their body size, or any other factor? is to tell them you don't believe they are human. you don't believe they are capable of feeling or enduring or suffering. that you feel they are less than you. and that, my friend? is the exact opposite of raising social awareness or finding any form of justice. that is not making the world a better place. that is not healing or helping. that is hurting.
do not do that.
to the other places in the world this week who suffered disasters, large and small, i feel compassion for you too. i hope you are able to fight, band together, and rebuild. but you will forgive me when, as a citizen of massachusetts, my concern was first with my tribe this week.
and no one should be made to feel bad about that.
may our next week be better, all.
...otherwise, there's fanart from kwerey. there's also a kyotoshi minecraft skin by zach.
and yeah, that's all i got. sorry for the little rant there, friends. next week.
(with inks here and here on DA)
wow. okay, so, double update aside? i wish i could say this was another quiet week. but obviously, that wasn't the case.
as many folks know, i live in massachusetts. i have friends in boston and surrounding areas, and it turned out family members were within two blocks of the bombing on monday. it was a very harrowing week for me. i am really amazed at how quickly and effectively the boston PD executed a manhunt, and am amazed they took him alive. i did not think that would happen at all.
but one thing i have seen a lot of this week disturbs me, and that is this sense of "you can't be sad/worried, someone ELSE has tragedy in the world!" this is kind of...broken logic. when tragedy strikes, you feel empathy - that's the normal human thing to do. but if tragedy strikes close to home, it hits your emotional core harder than if it's across the world in a place you have never been and don't have ties to. and there's nothing wrong with this. this is normal. this shows you care about your home town, your friends, your loved ones. there's no reason to feel shameful over that. and the notion that one human suffering is more 'worthy' of concern than another? is also broken thinking.
all suffering is suffering. it is all worthy of concern. no suffering is invalid simply because it comes from a certain place.
to say we don't care because we're being most vocal about a suffering which touches us personally is unfair. it is, if anything, a low blow. humans survive by showing solidarity for our tribes - be those tribes family, friends, citizens of our city, citizens of our coastline, citizens of our country or of another country all together. where our emotional bonds are, that is where our tribes are. that is how we survive. that is how we have always survived. it does your tribe little good if you mourn for a stranger at the expense of neglecting your own sickly. you should not be made to feel guilty for caring for your own. you should not be made to feel guilty for caring. period.
the people of boston and her visting friends were stunning this week. the citizens reacted in ways i had almost forgot people could - with bravery, with kindness. they gave so much blood that the hospitals were at capacity within the hour. they gave away food, shelter, cell phone charges to complete strangers who were trapped during the initial bomb sweeping. they ran towards the blasts to help, not away. they listened to police. they helped the police. when the police said to stop tweeting scanner feeds during the manhunt, people did.
and when they rejoiced, it was with a relief and sense of closure i didn't know a city could feel.
let no one make you feel guilty for your compassion, boston. let no one make you feel unease for your rejoicing. you are an amazing and beautiful city. you are full of amazing and beautiful people, with amazing and beautiful friends and allies. and let no one in this time tell you otherwise.
there's a poisonous attitude on the internet these days, one which seems determined to rob people of the validity of their own feelings and experiences. it's often sold as 'social justice' but the real name for it? is nihilism. or maybe cynicism. or maybe just 'tragedy hipster.' unless a cause is so underground that it's never been heard of, your empathy or feelings for it mean nothing. it's not to say that there aren't causes which need more attention - there are - but no cause should be promoted solely on the basis of cutting down the emotional and personal struggles of others and saying they mean nothing. all humans are capable of suffering. all of us can experience inconcievable times of hardship. it's been said before - it's how we overcome it that defines us.
to tell someone there is no hardship simply because of where they live, or the colour of their skin, or their diet, or their sexual orientation, or their body size, or any other factor? is to tell them you don't believe they are human. you don't believe they are capable of feeling or enduring or suffering. that you feel they are less than you. and that, my friend? is the exact opposite of raising social awareness or finding any form of justice. that is not making the world a better place. that is not healing or helping. that is hurting.
do not do that.
to the other places in the world this week who suffered disasters, large and small, i feel compassion for you too. i hope you are able to fight, band together, and rebuild. but you will forgive me when, as a citizen of massachusetts, my concern was first with my tribe this week.
and no one should be made to feel bad about that.
may our next week be better, all.
...otherwise, there's fanart from kwerey. there's also a kyotoshi minecraft skin by zach.
and yeah, that's all i got. sorry for the little rant there, friends. next week.
