We Just Can't Stop Looking

I've been rolling these thoughts around in my mind all week.  I'm still not sure of them, or how they will come out.  I apologize in advance if there is a lack of clarity here.

On Superbowl Sunday, my husband and I were flipping channels during the (really boring) pre-game commentary, and ended up watching part of the movie Chicago.  I love the music from that show and have listened to the songs many times before.  This time around, however, it was the underlying theme that got my attention and coloured my watching of the Superbowl later on.  If you've never seen it, Chicago is about crime, prisons, and the press in the 1930s.  The accused are all women who are guilty of murder, but who catch the public eye because of their glamour and their enticing stories.  You get a picture all through the film of a public that is both intoxicated and disgusted by crime and criminals.  They feign horror, but they just can't look away.

This week, it's been all Boston, all the time on the news.  Of course, I believe that what happened in Boston was downright terrible, gut-wrenching, and disgusting.  This past year I've been realizing that whether it's been Sandy Hook Elementary School, Boston, or even Beyonce at the Superbowl*, it seems we just can't look away.  Every story is taken to the saturation point.  We are all saddened by the death of the elementary school children, but I don't know why we have to see the same images over and over again, or read the life stories of every person that died.  They died.  Let their loved ones mourn and let's stop staring at the TV. 

It's hypocritical since I just recently wrote all about my love for Facebook, but I can't stand social media during weeks like these.  Why must we all change our status to, "My heart goes out to Boston," as if that makes a difference?  Call or email your loved ones in the Boston area if you will, but there's no need to share it with everyone else.  Why do I feel heartless for not posting articles of the carnage that everyone already knows about? (Yes, I know I'm posting about it here, but this is where I process things and share my heart.)

It angers me that every tragedy gets skewed into sound/Twitter bites to support or decry a given cause or political movement.  Yesterday a sort-of-relative of mine posted a "quote" (very much out of context) from Justin Trudeau that made it sound like he was sympathetic to the Boston bomber.  I'm no big fan of Trudeau, but this seemed so disgustingly uncalled for that it made me temporarily want to quit Facebook altogether.  The death of innocent people should NEVER be used for political gain.  Sure, it may be a catalyst for change, but that's not the same as using it as fodder against your political enemies.

I don't know where I'm going with all of this, other than a call to common sense and decency.  Let's mourn with those who mourn without having it in our faces all the time.  Let's stop using death and carnage as a political tool.  And let's try to make the world a better place.  Thanks for "listening" and letting me process.  :-)


*I included Beyonce here because the whole Superbowl show saga fits in with this theme.  We all know Beyonce likes to dance and flaunt it.  It shouldn't surprise anyone that she did exactly that at the Superbowl.  Instead of just turning off the TV, a million people decided to tweet, post, etc., about how scandalous it was.  People are dying every day in Syria, while Americans (and Canadians) are more preoccupied with a racy dance show that they could have stopped watching at any time.  Sigh....