19 June 2006
I've been lax
I've had a bit of writer's block lately. Some pressing issues on my mind and some insomnia have combined to sap the creative juices out of me. I've got half of an essay complete highlighting my trip to the city dump open house with my son a few weekends ago. I've avoided the news as much as I could. That attack on the picnickers in Gaza really choked me up. It seems like every time I turn on the news, there's another story of something horrible happening to a child, through accident or lethal malice. I may be a bit scattered here.
In Gaza a little girl lost most of her family instantly, supposedly from artillery fire. In Iraq, it was soldiers venting there frustration about a fallen comrade by murdering a bunch of civilians, including children. One toddler gets caught under the wheels of a semi, while another teen accidentally steps in front of a bus, while yet another infant is brutally beaten by her father. The last case disturbs me the most. Supposedly, he had bound the arms of the 4 month old with duct tape, shoved her head under running water, punched her in the chest and abdomen and shoved a t-shirt in her mouth to suffocate her. He actually laughed in surprise because she was still breathing after he punched her in the chest.
These are not isolated events. They happen everywhere all the time. That so many humans lack empathy is remarkable. (I know, traffic accidents are not done with malice aforethought, but they're no less tragic)
In writing this stop-gap post, I seem to have rambled on a bit in my draft, so expect an essay on morality in the next few days. I'm clipping it here to keep things current.
In Gaza a little girl lost most of her family instantly, supposedly from artillery fire. In Iraq, it was soldiers venting there frustration about a fallen comrade by murdering a bunch of civilians, including children. One toddler gets caught under the wheels of a semi, while another teen accidentally steps in front of a bus, while yet another infant is brutally beaten by her father. The last case disturbs me the most. Supposedly, he had bound the arms of the 4 month old with duct tape, shoved her head under running water, punched her in the chest and abdomen and shoved a t-shirt in her mouth to suffocate her. He actually laughed in surprise because she was still breathing after he punched her in the chest.
These are not isolated events. They happen everywhere all the time. That so many humans lack empathy is remarkable. (I know, traffic accidents are not done with malice aforethought, but they're no less tragic)
In writing this stop-gap post, I seem to have rambled on a bit in my draft, so expect an essay on morality in the next few days. I'm clipping it here to keep things current.
// posted by Parge @ 8:33 AM
