tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883316091039240977.post6184606353604439236..comments2023-12-26T05:05:10.391-05:00Comments on Little Girl, Bigger World: A Few Thoughts on Paris, Social Media, and Selective Grief Leda Olia http://www.blogger.com/profile/05552405390687545807noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883316091039240977.post-7858145483897050782015-12-12T16:01:46.167-05:002015-12-12T16:01:46.167-05:00Thought of this blogpost, when I saw this New York...Thought of this blogpost, when I saw this New Yorker article. They are either reading your blog or are just a little slower to come to similar conclusions:<br /><br />http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/change-avatars-tragedy?mbid=nl_151212_Daily&CNDID=20719224&spMailingID=8341971&spUserID=MjY0MzU4NjgwMTIS1&spJobID=821291900&spReportId=ODIxMjkxOTAwS0Mary Kogerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10154384380946345676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883316091039240977.post-69685859868812374662015-11-17T17:37:17.485-05:002015-11-17T17:37:17.485-05:00Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Ale...Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Alekhya! (As ever) You make an incredibly valuable point that we often fail to recognize that which we share with non-western communities. It seems to always be a juxtaposition of "us" versus "them," and it's safe to say that isn't entirely helpful when it comes to understanding and resolving universal political and social issues (to put it simply). You are right in that we must offer our condolences in the wake of certain tragedies without being reductive of others <br /><br />That poem is beautiful- and I hope you've been making use of that HONY book I gave you a while ago ;) Leda Olia https://www.blogger.com/profile/05552405390687545807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7883316091039240977.post-20292818475487388702015-11-16T20:27:03.039-05:002015-11-16T20:27:03.039-05:00A brave, honestly written article - proud of you.
...A brave, honestly written article - proud of you.<br /><br />I agree with you that Western media has a disproportionate amount of power when it comes to deciding which tragedies are newsworthy and which are "commonplace". As residents of Western countries, it shocks us to see violence and tragedy in other Western countries whose political, social, and economic profiles mirror our own. "It could have happened here", we say when a people who we identify with is attacked. <br /><br />But it is worth remembering that people in Syria, Lebanon, Kenya and other developing nations are not all that different from ourselves. It's worth remembering that these are the same nations and the same people that boast world-class universities and ancient cultures, but that our exposure is censored to images of blood and weapons. Violence is universal (we, as Americans, have our own share of skeletons), but the fact that it feels otherwise is indicative of how far we have to go in breaking down the power structure that still separates the white, Western world and everybody else. <br /><br />Mourning one tragedy does not have to come at the expense of another, and as we remember those in Paris and Beirut, we should reflect upon the fact that humanity transcends all constructions of race, power and wealth. <br /><br />One of my favorite poems (from a HONY entry!) sums up what I’m trying to say:<br /><br />"The lines around the self, the borders between you and me aren’t as obvious as they may seem<br />We are all connected."Alekhyahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494345365052910518noreply@blogger.com