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The public needs to understand that after
television cameras are turned off and newspapers and magazines shift their focus to other matters, many months and perhaps years of continual suffering from devastation of tsunami will continue. Children will long be in need of significant resources. They will also need—an important point that to date that has not been a subject of media focus—a sense of hope and direction that knowledge and observation of a rebuilding process can provide. The continuation of packages of aid—a display that world still cares about them—is also of critical importance. The diminishing headlines and newspaper articles also will not diminish need for myriad children orphaned from tsunami to find a safe and permanent home. Will most people be aware of this on some level? Of course. But that does not negate need for media to address reality of "out of sight-out of mind" phenomenon that people often experience after significant media coverage of a given situation disappears.
Regardless of amount or nature of media coverage, there are always a large number of people—even those who are usually empathetic and kind—that turn away from morose newspaper headlines, or graphic footage of incomprehensible human suffering. Life is hard to begin with. It is most difficult, if not seemingly impossible, for many people, including those who are fundamentally good natured, to embrace horrific suffering of people who seem so far away; people who seem to be almost part of a different world.
For other people, it is not location of a horrific event that cause them to care little or not at all. It is a universal truth, yet a relatively rarely acknowledged fact, that there will always be some people that are never of concern for victims of any circumstance, either tragic or common place-unless they somehow perceive that it directly or indirectly affects them or people in their lives that they care about. There is nothing media can do to change character or morality of such people (a type that many sociologists and social psychologists believe to be {thankfully} relativity small in number) that exist all across world.
As this commentary was accessed by a link on Poetry Perspective Section of Perspectives On Youth, www.perspectivesnoyouth.org, and because sometimes poetry captures a situation or a point better than other forms of communication ever could, it seems fitting to conclude with a famous passage by great poet John Donne. Nearly 400 years after placing pen to paper, his words continue to evoke a universal message, both obvious and underlying, providing perspective to many generations since that have continually found themselves caught between decisions of isolation versus intervention with those-regardless of level of their suffering—thought of as completely unconnected to themselves.
No Man Is An Island (also known as For Whom The Bell Tolls), a Passage From MEDITATION 17, BY JOHN DONNE (Written in 1623)
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of continent, a part of main. If a clod be washed away by sea, Europe is less, as well as if a promentory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
For Purposes of Context and Clarification about passage, Please Note: It was custom during times and culture in which John Donne lived for Tenor Bell (A very loud and far reaching bell) to be tolled for a death. A man was memorialized by ringing of "Taylors" - nine strokes of bell, then a pause, before concluding commemoration by a number of strokes equal to man's age at time of his death. A woman was similarly paid tribute except that her death was marked by seven (two fewer than that for a man) strokes, then pause, followed by number of strokes equal to her age at time of her death. Upon hearing bell, a messenger was sent to discover name of person that died.-----Hence, "Therefore never send to know for whom bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Donne's point (as stated earlier: this passage has remained among most universally well-known and highly regarded compilation of words for nearly 400 years) was that specific identity of person who died was largely irrelevant. Donne viewed himself and (by implication and interpretation of passage) all people as part of "mankind." Therefore, death of anyone lessens mankind and affects everyone. Donne reinforces his view in first part of passage: As "no man is an island" everyone has an inherent obligation for empathy, benevolence, and compassion, wherever and whenever necessary and possible. To that same end, as part of mankind, Donne implies that everyone also has an inherent obligation to never cause suffering or, worse, "toll" of another person. To do so "diminishes" person who, by such actions, causes an affront to mankind—and consequently to all people that are part of that mankind. ©Joi Kohlhagen, January 1, 2005--All Rights Reserved
Joi Kohlhagen is the Founder and Editor of Perspectives On Youth, www.perspectivesonyouth.org, a multidisciplinary Internet forum for those that work with youth and strive toward a common goal: promoting the well-being of youth. She has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from New York University and is a member of several media related organizations.
