Do you cry when your relatives die? How about when mine die? [View All]

[theboss]

I'm giving this its own post, because it is something I think about. And, frankly, I'm tired of being told I'm a callous jerk for being more affected by events in Virginia than by events in Iraq.

As humans, are we supposed to experience the same level of grief for every tragedy? Or are we conditioned to treat each event specifically and react based on our connection to it.

At this point, most of my feelings on Iraq are tied up into anger and frustration. I certainly feel sorry for the people suffering and dying there, but there are people suffering and dying all over the world. It's just that in Iraq, my country's policies have led to this. I don't have a real connection to the people themselves other than just through general shared humanity.

The events in Blacksburg - to use a horribly cliched line - hit closer to home. Literally. I live in Virginia. I know people in Blacksburg. My neighbors are big-time alums. As a WVU fan, I have a rivalry with that school - a connection.

Shouldn't I feel more for it? Or should I react to all tragedies the same?

As I said in another thread, isn't this just part of the human condition. In the movies, we hardly blink when an entire city is destroyed, but God forbid something happen to Will Smith.

Or maybe I am wired incorrectly. That's always possible.