In the last couple of weeks I’ve found myself watching and wondering about our response to the bushfire disaster. I’ve been encouraged and inspired by people’s compassion and concern for others. Challenged by the generousity shown and proud that I live in a country where helping people is considered honourable and even heroic. One emotion has greatly intrigued me though and that is shock.
I’ve been surprised by the amount of people who have been shocked that this could happen to us. From newspaper headlines and tv newsreader comments all the way through to twitter posts and snatches of conversation overheard on the tram or bus, I’ve heard shock everywhere. Now obviously such an event is deeply shocking, but one twitterer I follow asked the question “How can so many people die in a bushfire in 21st century Australia?”
While I type this my RSS reader flashes up that the death toll from this tragedy has hit 200. Homes, business, schools and livelihoods have all been lost and thousands are homeless. Yet by global standards this is not an unusual tragedy. Most days I read the news and most weeks something terrible, something of a similar scope happens somewhere in the world. Maybe I’m exaggerating, maybe it’s only most months, but still it happens and it happens too often. If that is the case, why are we so shocked that this has happened to us?
Are we shocked because we are rich? Because we are technologically developed? What has made us feel so safe that even though we turn on our TVs and see devastation and destruction in other parts of the world we believe it won’t happen to us? What is it about who we are and where we live that makes us feel safe? Who makes us feel safe from this kind of tragedy? That safety seems like an illusion at the moment. Is it something that I/we should hope in again? Is it a foolishness that must be avoided?
I don’t have answers. I’m sure there are some. Some simple and some profound too no doubt.
Filed under: rants
