There
was once a small robot. Every day he
would live his life in a world full of normal people. He would always oil his gears to ensure he
ran smoothly. At all times, his
batteries were surely charged. He did
everything he possibly could to ensure that he was just like the people around
him. There was only one difference,
beyond his mechanics and size. They had
to tell him how to feel. His coding didn’t
seem to tell him what was and was not important because he was only a
robot. He did not possess human
feelings, or the urge to love or grieve.
The people had to tell him what mattered and what didn’t, for he was
only robot. As the years went by, the
robot found that sensationalism could be exciting. He thought he finally felt something, and so
he pursued the excitement found in news about disaster. He feigned to be grieved. But just like all the other robots, deep inside, he knew he loved every second of it.
While our nation mourns the attacks
in Boston, and rightfully so, my mind has turned to another area of
interaction. This past week saw the
attack in Boston, but it saw many other tragedies as well. The Waco, Texas explosion killed 14 people this past week. Earth quakes in
China have killed hundreds, and aftershocks continue to rock the nation. Syria’s civil war continues, with attacks like
Boston happening every single day.
Despite all of these things, what we hear about from our media is only
Boston. Yes, we may find a blip or two,
here or there, about these other disasters, but they don't receive anywhere near the amount
of coverage that the events of Boston receive.
As I scroll through my Facebook wall, talk to others around me, and
consume other forms of communication, I see this same trend. Everyone is talking about Boston, no one is
talking about Waco. This begs the
question, why? If this was based on body
count Syria should be getting up to the minute coverage. If this was based upon recent events hurting
people, China would be receiving the coverage and aid they need. If this was based upon need for investigation
and reform, Waco seems to be the best option.
But instead we talk about Boston.
We talk about Boston for a couple a
reasons. The first reason is 9/11. Our response to terror attacks has been conditioned
and formed by the events that happened that day. But this does not excuse the coverage
itself. The media chose Boston to be the
tragedy you should care about. The media
chose what will profit them in views and ultimately cash. A terrorist attack gets people to watch. People pay attention to every single
unfolding detail, no matter how wrong or destructive that information might
be. The publication of news stories
claiming suspects who were not suspects, and suspects who did not even exist was
inexcusable. The ravenous desire of the
internet to find the bombers through their own pathetic attempts at
investigation was naïve to say the least.
In this process, a highschool boy received death threats for no
justifiable reason, other than owning a black bag. The dehumanization
of entire cultures has been the resulting response to this attack. The fire of hate against Islam has once again
been refueled, and I must ask the question.
Why do we allow others to decide the value of human life for us? What happened in Boston is a tragedy, and it
needs to be addressed accordingly. But
what is happening in Syria, China, Texas, and all over the world is just as
important. It isn’t flashy, it won’t
keep your eyes glued to the screen, it isn't sensational. America has become obsessed with news as a
form of entertainment. That which cannot
keep our attention with intriguing subject matter is thrown aside. We exchange the value of human life, for our
insatiable desire to be entertained.
This is not true across the board,
nothing is. I am simply asking the
reader to look inside themselves. Be
honest with yourself. Do you take
pleasure in suffering because it is entertaining? On the face of it, that sounds dark and
twisted. But think about it for a
moment. If not, that is awesome. But perhaps, the reason
you care about Boston more than Syria is because you have allowed the media to
decide which tragedies are important.
Perhaps you find some sort of satisfaction in following the story of the
manhunt, instead of grieving for the victims.
I believe that many of us have fallen into this trap of
consumption. The news has desensitized
us, and much like the little robot, they have to tell us how to feel. And much like the little robot, over time, they
have learned how to play upon our nature.
By nature we enjoy being offended, we enjoy having someone to blame, and
we enjoy the power trip that revenge brings.
As a culture, we must reexamine our priorities, especially in the media. America is a place of pride in ourselves, our accomplishments, and our people. When someone threatens that, we immediately stand up for 'Merica. Do we do the same for the individuals being persecuted in Pakistan? Do we protect those in Palestine without the resources to live? Do we take a stand for Israel in the wake of destruction there? What scale are you using to define human value? Is it nationality, religion, culture? Or is it the fact they are human?
In conclusion, that little robot
eventually found he had feelings. The way he found this out, was by choosing to care. He chose not to listen to the people around
him, telling him what he should feel, and he followed what he thought was right. He ignored his desire for entertainment, and
saw people for what they really are, human beings. So pray for Boston. But pray for Waco, China,
and Syria too. Don't let another decide what is important, that choice must be for you make.
