In 2015, I noticed how a lot of people on my facebook friends list (I won't link it to preserve my secret identity) were saying "#PrayForParis" and making their profile pics French flags. I almost partook in that but backed out because it didn't feel right. I felt like I would only do that because a lot of my friends were. I resisted following the crowd blindly.
Countless other Terror Attacks had occurred in France, the UK (England), Bellugim and most recently in Spain.
As an atheist, I never felt comfortable using the "pray for" hashtag, but my thoughts were with the victims and their friends and family.
I feel like these social media responses to the terror attacks are normalizing them and desensitizing the masses. I might be going too deep into the rabbit hole.
How do I stop or reduce the normalization of desensitization of these tragic events?
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@ VH.....
Remember ...(Je suis Charlie)
Try "Je Suis Barcelona" .... (or wherever the next attack comes...)
at the worst it will "tweek" peoples memory ... at best it may solicit enquiries ...
which gives you the chance to educate ,inform and commiserate .
I do similar to be honest, when I see these atrocities and the #prayfor trends, I sometimes think.. well that's what got us in this mess!
I tend to at least show my humanistic side though by prefering to put 'thoughts are with those lost, injured and affected by'... *insert whatever terror related incident, tragic accident or natural disaster*
I do this mostly as I consider myself a humanist and a free thinker before anything and I find it to be the appropriate response for myself.
I agree.
Avoid thinking about the numbers, and focus on the individuals affected by these atrocities. Numbers depersonalize tragedies. Think about Julian Cadman, a seven-year-old boy from Sydney, Australia. He was walking in Barcelona with his mother when the van hit her. She's seriously hurt in hospital, and Julian has vanished. Can you imagine what his parents must be going through right now.
That sense of empathy is what keeps us human. A lack of empathy is what makes it possible for these filth to commit their cowardly outrages.
It must be awful for them. I'm sorry about all this.
We are lucky that the terrorists have been simple-minded nitwits so far or else they would have caused some real damage.
We tend to think that when we get up in the morning that our lives will be routine just as they have always been and that we will make it home safe and sound, sleep through the night and repeat it all every day thereafter. But sometimes our "luck" runs out and shit happens. We never know what that will be but it's usually very bad and might result in serious injury or death.
Frankly I can't see myself dying but I know that I will. There's no good way to go but when my time comes I don't want it to take all day. So if I get killed quickly in a terrorist attack I guess my "prayer" will have been answered.
"We are lucky that the terrorists have been simple-minded nitwits so far or else they would have caused some real damage."
The damage has been quite real.
CyberLN,
While it's true that people have been injured and killed it's nothing out of the ordinary.
Every death and suffering is not something can be swept away, except by time, but unfortunately the Iraqis and Syrian and the Afghans experienced it on daily basis for years.
All muslims in the west are educated to follow the channel of the law for any dispute or grievances, and they did. I did and still do.
One day for no reason at all "the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 editorial cartoons on 30 September 2005, most of which depicted Muhammad, the principal figure of the religion of Islam.". Why on earth they did that?. They said it was to create debate / form of free speech. In an instant those who hate Islam enjoy the pain felt of the muslims world wide who loved their Prophet. Few court cases lodged by the muslims to stop the insulting cartoons were dismissed / failed, which emboldened other publishers from the neighboring countries to do the same.
During that time the ISIS was busy killing the muslims whom they declared as "kafirs" in Iraq. It took 10 years after the cartoon publication when finally they step in Europe by executing their plan in France Charlie hebdo office, killing 12.
If I were to say that their action was justified - than - that was the only justified action. What followed after that I don't know.
I don't think they are many, most likely just handful, but than it take only one person or two to do it with minimal tools.
@Zwaija: "Why on earth they did that?"
In the West, freedom is just as important and sacred to us as Muhammad is to Muslims. One of the most symbolic and important of our freedoms is freedom of speech. That freedom was the result of centuries of struggle against tyrants and priests, and we value it highly. The Muhammad cartoons may be in bad taste. They may offend you. But in the West nobody has the right not to be offended. You have the right to look the other way, to ignore things that offend you. You have the right to protest. But you don't have the right to stop other people exercising their freedom.
Radical Islamists will never change Western ideals of freedom by attacking and killing people. All they do is further strengthen radical elements in Western society, such as neo-Nazis. Ultra-nationalist parties came close to winning elections in France and Germany recently, and in America fear of Islamist outrages was partly responsible for the election of Donald Trump.
Maybe IS wants to push the West toward radical nationalism and trigger wars. That would be very bad for us in the West. For the Middle East it would be catastrophic.
Well said,
And there is absolutely zero logical or rational reasoning in murdering people for that.
It's pathetic.
Whilst yet i agree its in poor taste and the editor should have used his brain, this doesnt give anyone the right to exact murder on another.
Other then the fact that the very notion of a god is silly to me and no different then Santa Claus or the tooth fairy, this is a major reason why I detest religion.
Normalisation is a social coping mechanism so, for better or worse, it is inevitable.
WD