How do you react to all the horrible things that happen in the world?

[Cimorene]

I'm just wondering what you do after learning about terrible things like the all the shootings lately. Now the new terrorist attack in France. Do you pray? Do you do something else? Tbh I'm looking forward to going to camp & not having Wifi for a while so I'm less aware of all the awful stuff happening in the world. That kind of makes me feel selfish. Is it? I'll learn all about everything awful afterwards but it will be nice to have some time not knowing about it.

 

[null_void]

Not sure why I chose this particular post to sign up for an account after lurking some years.

But to answer your question, I sit in my chair at my desk, staring at the monitor asking "What the <insert your choice of expletive here>, world?" Because these people (just like any murder victim) has been robbed of the only thing they truly own. And even though I know most everyone isn't a killer, it still makes me angry and sad in a physical way that typically sad things like funerals don't. And then I go to bed, and wake up in the morning feeling a little bit less dramatic, and sometimes look for a real, practical way that I can contribute. Maybe I'll go donate blood tomorrow (I know it won't do them any good there, but it can still do some good here, perhaps).

I don't think it's such a bad thing to want to withdraw for a bit (whether it be to camp or elsewhere). That's a temporary break, and you'll be back engaged with the rest of the world soon enough (both the good and bad parts). Everyone needs a sanity day (or week) every once in a while.

 

[nightflight]

Remember its never not been like this.

 

[quatona]

How do you react to all the horrible things that happen in the world?

There is no way to appropriately react to them. That´s the problem.

I'm just wondering what you do after learning about terrible things like the all the shootings lately. Now the new terrorist attack in France.

I try not to forget that such terrible things happen all the time in other parts of the world, and that people are dieing awful deaths even without terrorists being around. I try not to fall for the propaganda.

Do you pray?

No. I try to keep my positive attitude, though.

Do you do something else?

I don´t know what I could possibly do. That´s the problem.
OTOH, I am not much of a crisis manager, anyway.
Also, I do not see much good coming from focussing on the bad things that happen.

Tbh I'm looking forward to going to camp & not having Wifi for a while so I'm less aware of all the awful stuff happening in the world. That kind of makes me feel selfish. Is it?

I tend to think that an overload of bad news you can´t do anything about isn´t doing you any good.

I'll learn all about everything awful afterwards but it will be nice to have some time not knowing about it.

That´s the thing: It makes no actual difference. Enjoy your time out.

 

[Eudaimonist]

I expressed my sorrow on Facebook at hearing the tragic news.

I was tempted to point out that a TRUCK was used to kill people in a crowd, and was wondering how the anti-gun zealots are going to respond to that, but decided to hold my tongue for the time being out of respect for the dead and the loved ones of the dead.

Other than feeling a moment of sorrow and respect, I get on with my life. There's nothing else productive that I can do.


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[Jack of Spades]

I sometimes have a silent moment for the dead and affected or something like that.

I try to remind myself that it's not like senseless violence is a new thing in the world.
I remind myself that there are plenty of professional people already working on the issue of terrorism, and I believe they are far better at doing anything practical about it than I am.
I try to go on with my life. Sometimes, being happy is the best protest.

And the truth be told, after every incident, I become more skeptical towards immigration from the Middle-East. If somebody has reasonable political options to limit it, without going all nazi, I'm willing to listen.

 

[Lik3]

Usually with prayer and extending my condolences, but it is hard to address the ills of this world sometimes.

 

[Mudinyeri]

I pray. I prepare. I stay aware.

 

[Cimorene]

Not sure why I chose this particular post to sign up for an account after lurking some years.

But to answer your question, I sit in my chair at my desk, staring at the monitor asking "What the <insert your choice of expletive here>, world?" Because these people (just like any murder victim) has been robbed of the only thing they truly own. And even though I know most everyone isn't a killer, it still makes me angry and sad in a physical way that typically sad things like funerals don't. And then I go to bed, and wake up in the morning feeling a little bit less dramatic, and sometimes look for a real, practical way that I can contribute. Maybe I'll go donate blood tomorrow (I know it won't do them any good there, but it can still do some good here, perhaps).

I don't think it's such a bad thing to want to withdraw for a bit (whether it be to camp or elsewhere). That's a temporary break, and you'll be back engaged with the rest of the world soon enough (both the good and bad parts). Everyone needs a sanity day (or week) every once in a while.

I kind of feel touched that my thread is why you finally joined. That was really nice of you. I can't give blood bc of my age. I wish there was a way to do something tangible to help. I am looking forward to just not knowing about everything awful for a week at camp. I was there last yr during that shooting in SC. I didn't find out about it until afterwards. I'm glad bc I just had a nice time the whole time I was there. I think it will be healthy tbh.

 

[Cimorene]

Remember its never not been like this.

Idk if that's so. I think there's always been horrible things going on every single day. Lots of it we don't know about it now bc it happens in places where there aren't smartphones. The summer when you were 16 how many mass shootings were there, how many terrorist attacks, how many people were murdered by the police during routine stops?

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

I am barely a consumer of the mass media. It does not matter if it is entertainment or news, the products of the mass media are something that I rarely consume.

I usually learn about news events long after everybody else has. If I do immediately learn about a news event it is not in any depth. I do not own a TV set. I do not have internet access at home. I do not own a mobile device that I can use to download data. If I listen to the radio it is stations where the content is 99% music and commercials--very little of people talking about anything, breaking news or otherwise. I am alone most of the time.

The few times that I have followed a news story extensively from the time it is breaking news to the time that it is no longer being covered, I simply listen and empathize.

There is suffering all over the globe all of the time. People everywhere need help all of the time. There are injustices all over the globe all of the time. Horrible things happen to people all of the time. I am already conscious of all of that. I am already doing everything that I can to address all of it.

I think if we are being honest, most mass media news content is politically and ideologically driven. If it was about suffering, injustice, horrible crimes, etc. then we would hear about all of it. And we would hear all of it loudly and clearly. But I learn about a lot of that injustice, suffering, crime, etc. long after it happens. I learned about the Dili massacre 10 years after it happened--in a college geography class, not through the mass media.

We should be preventing and/or preparing for things like Hurricane Katrina before they happen, not waiting until they are all over the news media and responding after the fact.

If, however, I see something that I can do to make a difference I will. But I do not recall it ever happening during a major news story. Maybe I made a financial contribution or two and do not remember it.

I made what I believe was a Red Cross donation to help Hurricane Katrina victims and my employer matched it. I do remember that.

 

[quatona]

The summer when you were 16 how many mass shootings were there, how many terrorist attacks, how many people were murdered by the police during routine stops?

(emphasis added)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents,_1973

 

[keith99]

Idk if that's so. I think there's always been horrible things going on every single day. Lots of it we don't know about it now bc it happens in places where there aren't smartphones. The summer when you were 16 how many mass shootings were there, how many terrorist attacks, how many people were murdered by the police during routine stops?

This happened on Bastille Day. Let's not forget just what that celebrates, the start of the French Revolution which led to the Reign of Terror where about 40,000 were executed or murdered often for no crime at all.

When I was 16 the mass shootings were in Vietnam. My Lai occurred when I was 15. The first Watts Riots were a couple of years before that. The significant difference between then and now is not the number or type of events but that everything gets immediate coverage world wide.

 

[StanJ]

I avoid the news channels for a few days.

 

[nightflight]

Idk if that's so. I think there's always been horrible things going on every single day. Lots of it we don't know about it now bc it happens in places where there aren't smartphones. The summer when you were 16 how many mass shootings were there, how many terrorist attacks, how many people were murdered by the police during routine stops?

When I was a teenager the Soviets freaked over NATO maneuvers in western Europe and WW3 almost started.

 

[keith99]

I started thinking and I remembered a film I went to a murder in the South.

I'm pretty sure it was the film Neshuba. I'm sure it was this murder:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_civil_rights_workers'_murders

It was a great example of how news coverage has changed. If it had been 3 blacks instead of 1 black and 2 Jews from New York it might never have come to light. But the 2 Jewish young men had families and their families pushed for answers. But it never was breaking news. The only thing that was ever news at all was when the bodies were found well after the murders.

I'm pretty sure the film ends with a long credit roll type listing of civil rights workers and other 'uppity' types who simply disappeared in the South. It was not a short list. Quite a few were military and black, a few were officers. Almost none ever made the news.

 

[Cimorene]

This happened on Bastille Day. Let's not forget just what that celebrates, the start of the French Revolution which led to the Reign of Terror where about 40,000 were executed or murdered often for no crime at all.

When I was 16 the mass shootings were in Vietnam. My Lai occurred when I was 15. The first Watts Riots were a couple of years before that. The significant difference between then and now is not the number or type of events but that everything gets immediate coverage world wide.

Not saying that there weren't terrible things that happened in the past, bc of course there were. At least the French Revolution had a purpose to it. I don't think all the shooting rampages & the terrorist attacks will bring about anything positive, ever. Ok, yes you would have been effected by Vietnam for sure. I wasn't thinking of that far back. I was thinking of how things were in the 80s when my parents were teens. You're right that it's different now too bc of how there's immediate coverage. My mom said it was more carefree for kids in her days.

 

[keith99]

Not saying that there weren't terrible things that happened in the past, bc of course there were. At least the French Revolution had a purpose to it. I don't think all the shooting rampages & the terrorist attacks will bring about anything positive, ever. Ok, yes you would have been effected by Vietnam for sure. I wasn't thinking of that far back. I was thinking of how things were in the 80s when my parents were teens. You're right that it's different now too bc of how there's immediate coverage. My mom said it was more carefree for kids in her days.

Bolding mine.

That is definitely true. I'm still in contact with current college students because I support the Oxy Rugby teams. The poor kids almost cry when they hear about what we could get away with.

I predict a backlash within your lifetime. I just hope it only swings back to healthy mischief and not into some version of A Clockwork Orange.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

I read about it. And drink my wine and maybe complain about.

 

[com7fy8]

I pray. And our example can do whatever God uses our example to do.

So, it is wise not to let reports of evil get our attention away from the good we can do, by means of prayer and good example.

Jesus says,

"'And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.'" (Matthew 24:12)

Jesus' love did not go cold, even while He was on the cross. So, we need to trust God to make sure we are strong in Jesus love, so that evil can not have power over us to decide how we are and how we see things. God is able. And love "hopes all things" (in 1 Corinthians 13:7).

I think evil is designed to trick us into thinking we can't do anything or can't do much. And the media can be used to help to cause us to suppose that there is nothing but evil, or mainly evil, in this world. But we can become loving persons and even grow more and more in love through Jesus who is our example > Ephesians 5:2.

I think it is good to appreciate our police officers, and encourage them. Ones of them would risk their lives to protect the family members of those who have sucker-shot police officers whom they didn't even know. But I suspect that people who sucker-shoot police think they are doing what is smart. And terrorists think what they are doing is smart, it seems.

In history, there were certain Americans who raided native nations' villages and killed their women and children. And ones killed off the buffalo so the native people would not have food for resisting conquest by European Americans. Then, after those Americans did all their killing, they wanted everyone to be nice and peaceful . . . if it meant their getting what they wanted. This is how evil people do things > hurting and using, then acting like the poor victims when something happens to them.

This happened in the South, too > people were murdered and kidnapped from Africa so American cotton growers could make their money. But if slaves rose up, the southerners could be terrified and play the victims.

So, there has always been evil. What we need to do is not let ourselves get into doing the same thing.

I was into dogs, and told that dogs can't go to Heaven and so I couldn't bring my dog friends into church. This meant that any doggie I picked up while walking to church would leave while I was inside. And the door person would not keep the dog around, for me. So, in order to get revenge for not being able to keep my dog friends, I decided I was going to derail trains in order to kill and maim as many people as I could. This is how terrorists think, I suppose; they think they are being smart. And I thought I was smart, but I was the definition of love-stupid.

People possibly don't have a clue. Only God can truly change us to become loving persons; and He includes us, to help with prayer and example for all He is able to do

By the way, now I have love friends who are good examples for me. I even have a lady friend who stays with me! Jesus never gave up on any of His disciples. If we want to have real love, we need to be this way, ourselves