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Kitsune · 03-13-2004, 10:37 PM

And I daresay, even in the Western half of the Country (I was in Vegas at the time), it still didn't feel real.

I have to agree with you, OC. I think it is because I've never been to New York and because I never got to see the World Trade Center, so I had no connection at all with what was going on. It still had a huge impact on me, but mostly because it was so bad it didn't feel real in any way. Knowing that this was happening in the US proved to be incredibly frightening, but the confusion left of "this can't be happening" made it all the more strange and almost erie. Yet, had I not flipped on the news that day or gone to work, I would have never have known what had happened that morning, not even if weeks passed. There was no direct effect on me, so the only emotions I could really feel were shock, concern, and worry for the future. I couldn't feel sad about it and I couldn't pretend to, as there is no way I could even begin to understand what the people in New York City were going through, much less the friends and families of those that were lost.

It's no wonder that it's difficult to have true sadness or anger over things that don't "hit home".

I used to blame the media on this, but on thinking more about this tonight I understand that it really isn't the fault of twenty-four hours news channels or violent movies. What must it have been like when newspapers hit the stands when Pearl Harbor was bombed? There was only newspaper text, followed by news reels days later of shaky, black and white footage of the boiler of a ship exploding and some sinking vessels. How could people on the East coast of the United States feel sorrow for those people lost when all they had was a number of dead? The media of those days didn't have nearly the ability to convey what the media of today does. Now, after a bomb goes off, we see body parts in the streets or the actual car chase as it is happening through the streets of LA followed immediately by the faces of the dead, interviews with the families, and home movies of previous happy times of the families enjoying quality time together with their children. That should bring on immense sadness.

But it doesn't, anymore.

But back on topic, it hit me more when Diana died than hearing 10 bombs went off on a train and killed however many people.

I share similar thoughts, here: I felt much more legitimate sadness when the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia were lost. Fewer lives were destroyed, but those were still "sick to my stomach" days.

03-13-2004, 10:37 PM	#21
Kitsune still eats dirt Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 3,031	And I daresay, even in the Western half of the Country (I was in Vegas at the time), it still didn't feel real. I have to agree with you, OC. I think it is because I've never been to New York and because I never got to see the World Trade Center, so I had no connection at all with what was going on. It still had a huge impact on me, but mostly because it was so bad it didn't feel real in any way. Knowing that this was happening in the US proved to be incredibly frightening, but the confusion left of "this can't be happening" made it all the more strange and almost erie. Yet, had I not flipped on the news that day or gone to work, I would have never have known what had happened that morning, not even if weeks passed. There was no direct effect on me, so the only emotions I could really feel were shock, concern, and worry for the future. I couldn't feel sad about it and I couldn't pretend to, as there is no way I could even begin to understand what the people in New York City were going through, much less the friends and families of those that were lost. It's no wonder that it's difficult to have true sadness or anger over things that don't "hit home". I used to blame the media on this, but on thinking more about this tonight I understand that it really isn't the fault of twenty-four hours news channels or violent movies. What must it have been like when newspapers hit the stands when Pearl Harbor was bombed? There was only newspaper text, followed by news reels days later of shaky, black and white footage of the boiler of a ship exploding and some sinking vessels. How could people on the East coast of the United States feel sorrow for those people lost when all they had was a number of dead? The media of those days didn't have nearly the ability to convey what the media of today does. Now, after a bomb goes off, we see body parts in the streets or the actual car chase as it is happening through the streets of LA followed immediately by the faces of the dead, interviews with the families, and home movies of previous happy times of the families enjoying quality time together with their children. That should bring on immense sadness. But it doesn't, anymore. But back on topic, it hit me more when Diana died than hearing 10 bombs went off on a train and killed however many people. I share similar thoughts, here: I felt much more legitimate sadness when the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia were lost. Fewer lives were destroyed, but those were still "sick to my stomach" days.