The deaths of many thousands of people by acts of violence should horrify us all, but we do no service to ourselves if we evidently believe that this dreadful act is in any way unique, or even particularly unusual in relation to the human condition. In addition, it drives a wedge between peoples if similar events are treated very differently on the basis of the social context of the victims. 'Natural' disasters kill similar numbers in countries which lack defensive infrastructure year on year. Wars around the globe do similar damage. Those of us from the western/northern world have committed similarly horrifying acts in our self interests, or have colluded with those who have done them in our names. The fact that so many of us saw this incident in real time brings it closer and makes the experience more real, though no less vicarious, so we can expect many people to be affected by that, but we must not lose sight of it as just another dreadful outcome of aggression and despa!
ir. To do otherwise offers no useful support to anyone we work with who is troubled by the event, but was not directly or closely indirectly involved.
Stephen Rennie, Leeds Metropolitan University
> -----Original Message-----
> From: K Rowell [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 3:51 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: couldn't care less?
>
> Gerald
> Your email included:
> (clients) "trying to express to us that they couldn't care less about the
> situation"
>
> How could anyone care less about thousands upon thousands of people dieing
> all at one time, within less then an hour? Have we as a world ever
> experienced a mass death like this in such a short period of time? The
> actions of the criminals I can understand a 'couldn't care less' or good for
> them, but not care that so very many people died all at once? If this is so,
> that there are many people in the world that have no sympathy or empathy for
> what I am thinking may be closer to 50,000 or more dead (100 story's times 2
> times 500 to 1000 people per floor), I have little hope for humanity.
>
> Are they perhaps a reflection of humanities shadow or is it a load of beans
> that at a basic level we want to live in harmony?
>
> On the other hand. One of the challenges I have recognized in supporting
> others in their process is being able to honestly acknowledge their
> perceptions/beliefs when they differ greatly from my own. I understand that
> this is an important thing to do and do authentically.
>
> Needing to spout,
> Kathryn
> confused and wondering
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