I cannot, I must not ignore it
Every time when an American is killed, the world is quickly informed of it. In a matter of hours, all the world media covers the killing, but when non-Americans are killed no one really cares, no one pays attention, they are just "numbers". It is a shame that the media is so grossly unethical and inhumane... .
The fact that the mainstream media always practices this gross double standard is sickening. It sickens and upsets me to the point that sometimes I don't even feel that the American victim is also a human being. Sometimes my anger at the media pushes me to the point of ignoring what has happened to A HUMAN BEING. Sometimes my feelings towards the American leaders, who I believe are criminals against the humanity, make me not see the depth of each individual human tragedy.... . Well, this makes me quite angry at myself.
I heard the news of beheading of the American Paul Johnson today. It started when I heard in the news that "...and now the latest development about the American hostage... ", I was all ears to hear the rest. I first thought it was a positive development, something that would result in letting him go and join his family and.... . But unfortunetely, it wasn't. My face dropped when I heard the news that he was killed. After that I kept thinking about him. I kept thinking about the Apache helicopters that he was an engineer for and the "death manufacturer", Lockheed Martin whom he worked for. I kept thinking about millions of people around the world that have been killed by the "death products" of companies such as Lockheed Martin. I kept thinking about the same Apache helicopters that have killed so many thousands of the Iraqis in last year or so. I kept thinking about all of them at the same time..., then suddenly I started feeling how much I, who has difficulty even touching a baby bird, have been and am changing: Just yesterday, all my family was mobilized and was struggling to find a way to save one of the new-born Robins whose parents had nested in a tree in our front yard. The baby kept falling off or coming down from the tree and kept trying to go away while still not quite able to fly, and we were trying to put him back in his nest. The parents were all over us making noises and objecting our perceived threat against their baby. Suddenly, I found myself talking to them in Farsi and in English to assure them that we were not going to hurt their baby. Anyway, I tried a couple of times to approach him but while I was getting closer to the young bird, I did not see this in myself to hold him as I was afraid I could hurt him. My wife did a much better job than I did. She put him back into the nest, but every time after a few minutes, he kept coming down while it was getting dark. We felt we had to do something to ensure his survival until morning. I suggested to take him home until morning but being a mother herself, my wife disagreed, and said that it would be the longest and most worrying night for the mother Robin. Finally, we directed him to our backyard providing access to mom and dad...... Every thing seemed fine in the morning.
My rant here is just to say, how easily one can get used to and ignore the tragedies. Why should I care who Mr. Johnson was? No, there shouldn't be anything to force me believe what happened was justified. I know, there are thousands of Johnsons happening every day that we are not told about but I take what I heard about Mr. Johnson as a symbol of how cruel and brutal the world has become. Nothing justifies what is happening these days. There is no need for any member of human kind to go through this. Nothing... . I wish I could express my feelings better than this.... .
Update:
I wonder if those planes that fired missiles into this residential neighbourhood were built by Lockheed Martin.
The fact that the mainstream media always practices this gross double standard is sickening. It sickens and upsets me to the point that sometimes I don't even feel that the American victim is also a human being. Sometimes my anger at the media pushes me to the point of ignoring what has happened to A HUMAN BEING. Sometimes my feelings towards the American leaders, who I believe are criminals against the humanity, make me not see the depth of each individual human tragedy.... . Well, this makes me quite angry at myself.
I heard the news of beheading of the American Paul Johnson today. It started when I heard in the news that "...and now the latest development about the American hostage... ", I was all ears to hear the rest. I first thought it was a positive development, something that would result in letting him go and join his family and.... . But unfortunetely, it wasn't. My face dropped when I heard the news that he was killed. After that I kept thinking about him. I kept thinking about the Apache helicopters that he was an engineer for and the "death manufacturer", Lockheed Martin whom he worked for. I kept thinking about millions of people around the world that have been killed by the "death products" of companies such as Lockheed Martin. I kept thinking about the same Apache helicopters that have killed so many thousands of the Iraqis in last year or so. I kept thinking about all of them at the same time..., then suddenly I started feeling how much I, who has difficulty even touching a baby bird, have been and am changing: Just yesterday, all my family was mobilized and was struggling to find a way to save one of the new-born Robins whose parents had nested in a tree in our front yard. The baby kept falling off or coming down from the tree and kept trying to go away while still not quite able to fly, and we were trying to put him back in his nest. The parents were all over us making noises and objecting our perceived threat against their baby. Suddenly, I found myself talking to them in Farsi and in English to assure them that we were not going to hurt their baby. Anyway, I tried a couple of times to approach him but while I was getting closer to the young bird, I did not see this in myself to hold him as I was afraid I could hurt him. My wife did a much better job than I did. She put him back into the nest, but every time after a few minutes, he kept coming down while it was getting dark. We felt we had to do something to ensure his survival until morning. I suggested to take him home until morning but being a mother herself, my wife disagreed, and said that it would be the longest and most worrying night for the mother Robin. Finally, we directed him to our backyard providing access to mom and dad...... Every thing seemed fine in the morning.
My rant here is just to say, how easily one can get used to and ignore the tragedies. Why should I care who Mr. Johnson was? No, there shouldn't be anything to force me believe what happened was justified. I know, there are thousands of Johnsons happening every day that we are not told about but I take what I heard about Mr. Johnson as a symbol of how cruel and brutal the world has become. Nothing justifies what is happening these days. There is no need for any member of human kind to go through this. Nothing... . I wish I could express my feelings better than this.... .
Update:
U.S. air strike reported in FallujahIn other words, US just "beheaded" 20 People with no names given. See? Didn't I just tell you they are considered as just numbers?
FALLUJAH, IRAQ - A U.S. military plane fired missiles Saturday into a residential neighbourhood in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, the local police chief said.
According to residents, at least 20 people were killed, including at least three women and five children. Some of the victims were found crushed under rubble, witnesses said.
I wonder if those planes that fired missiles into this residential neighbourhood were built by Lockheed Martin.
posted by Faramin | 8:30 p.m.
<< Home