On Sep 2, 2005, at 4:02 PM, Robert Seeberger wrote:
Dave Land wrote:
On Sep 2, 2005, at 3:12 PM, Robert Seeberger wrote:
We have this great human disaster that is occuring, and people here
seem to be much happier to discuss how much gas will cost them
because of this inconvenient storm or beat their political drums.
Damn the yuppification of America!
No one talks about the human misery that *should* be the focus of
our attention.
A bit disgusting.
I'm pretty sure that those of us who are inclined to take action to
alleviate that suffering are just doing so and not talking about it
on the list.
Are you suggesting that I am concerned over who is giving the biggest
donation or somesuch?
No. I don't know where you got that idea. I said that people may be
taking action and NOT talking about it. I happen to know that a guy who
is sitting right here in the office with me contributed $200 through the
Salvation Army in memory of his nephew, Wes Canning. He also purchased a
bunch of diapers on eBay and had 'em shipped to the newly-relocated Camp
Casey in Covington, LA.
But because he didn't say so on the list, you accuse him of not caring
about the suffering down there. I find that galling. If anyone else on
the list would like to make a contribution in honor or in memory of
someone, visit www.salvationarmy.com.
Jeez Dave, millions of people are suffering, God only knows how many
are dead.
Yes, and my heart goes out to them. I could hardly sleep last night
after watching so many horrible images on TV and reading so may painful
stories. I know something about grief -- including the pain of losing
a child.
Jeez, Robert, do you think that others are unaware of it, or are
untouched by it because we didn't happen to say, on-list, "My heart goes
out to the millions of people who are suffering and the families of the
God only knows how many who are dead."
Puh-leez. How little you must know of how grief works. Many of us,
facing massive grief, busy ourselves with other things, because the
enormity of it is just too great. If that doesn't fit your model of
grief, I'm sorry to hear that.
And the discussion I'm seeing revolves around how it effects our
pocketbooks.
Yes, that is what we're talking about. If I want to know where I can
make donations, I can turn on my TV, go to my browser, etc. I don't
turn to Brin-L for that kind of information. And I don't feel that I
need to beat my chest and hire mourners to demonstrate the depth of
my suffering.
I think I made an extremely valid criticism.
Jeez, Robert, millions are suffering and God only knows how many are
dead and all you can do is claim how much better you are than a bunch
of goobers on a mailing list?
I don't shed tears over gas prices, but the human misery I see
every time I turn on my TV is breaking my heart. Maybe I am taking on
too much in personalizing the pain of others, but I cannot be accused
of not caring.
Who here has said that they shed a single tear over gas prices? Now you
are just spouting nonsense.
Please don't forget that you are the one who leveled accusations of not
caring against all but your select three. For all you know, keyboards
of everyone on this list are barely functional for the waves of tears
that have flooded over them. Yet you make your first post on this topic
a self- congratulation for being one of the three people on the list who
care about actual people.
THAT is not an extremely valid criticism.
I remember how this list reacted after 911. The reaction is in no way
the same this time. It is like most of us have built up a callous over
our feelings and are evading discussion of the worst disaster any of
us have ever seen in this country.
Which is a very common response to emotional fatigue. You should have
seen the bullshit my in-laws put us through when Kevin was dying... I
know something about grief. Maybe you do, too, but the last paragraph
makes it more difficult for me to see that.
Perhaps I am just more aware of the situation than most of you. Or
perhaps it is just a matter of how I perceive the discussions.
I'm angry over the way the disaster has been handled, and maybe my
anger is spilling over onto the list.
Perhaps so. I hope you're able to find a fruitful way to turn that
anger into action.
But I honestly expected to see some evidence that people gave a shit
enough that they would talk about it, and that feeling has been
simmering in me ever since the non-discussion of the tsunami last
Christmas.
What would you have had us say?
Something that used to live on this list seems to me to be lost and I
miss it like I would miss a friend I loved.
I'm not really interested in excuses why things have gone the way they
have, but I would like to hear that you understand how I feel.
This an AOL chat room. It has never been the kind of place where people
come to say "OMG, I can't BELIEVE what I'm seeing on TV!!!"
If that's what you want, I'm sorry to inform you that you're looking in
the wrong place.
Dave
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