I just read another Odyssey content creator's story, When Photos Speak Louder Than Words, about the children of Syria living the aftermath of an airstrike. I love the fact her article is making its rounds and being shared; but what I would like to know is, why now? Why not then? How long will this mind afflicting feeling will last before everyone is onto the next thing? It's stories like this that piss me off!
The media takes photos of the unfortunate events, gains public and pity. Then, after a few days, the story, the feelings, the sympathy is forgotten--just like the children suffering at the hands of Joseph Kony (the Invisible Children: a must read and research). Just like the girls who were kidnapped in Nigeria. And the people of Los Angeles losing their livelihoods and memories from a flood. The refuges (remember that photo of the dead child washed up on the beach?). Underpaid workers risk their lives making your clothing every time they go to work. Workers who grow chocolate beans but never tasted it, workers who grow our foods and spray them with pesticides, endangering their own lives and their families.
We post our sympathies, our rants and raves, blame the government or presidency for these situations, claiming we are going to do this, that, or the other to try and make a difference, and a few days later when it is no longer trending, we could all care less about what happened. Only because at the end of the day we are in our cushioned beds, distracted with our phones or tellys, with our friends without a care in the world as if hell isn't on the other side of the world.
The carnage of children photographed for the sake of newsworthy story lines is pathetic. A picture should not have to make you feel pity or sympathy to get a point across of what PEOPLE are doing to each other. The mere fact of war should activate those emotions. It should scare you that people can easily drop bombs, airstrikes, merciless and senseless killings upon anyone within periphery that they consider a threat without any type of regard or heaviness in their chest.
The kid in the photo was born in a time of war; and all he knows is war. Knowing that haunts me. Knowing I cannot do anything other than write haunts me. It's only until it happens to us that we can truly understand what it feels like to be ignored when in need. When the war is taking place in our own countries, and believe that letting our photo be taken could cause a ripple big enough to dissipate any type of ill-will someone has against my country.
We are all strong in mind but weak in effective actions. We are quick to give our pity and sympathy but we are slow in actually wearing it on our sleeves. Now, I know there are many heroes on the battleground making a difference--minute or earth-shattering--but what I want to know is, what is the media doing about it instead of just covering it and garnering attention to boost ratings? There are many photos on the internet that caught people's attention due to the lack of political correctness, which I praise, but they have since been forgotten.
"My country is the world, and my countrymen are mankind" - William Lloyd Garrison
That little boy only knows Syria as his world, and the people--his village that raised him--were mankind. But now, his country is gone and his village is lost. Where are his people?
