Am I being oversensitive (yeah j.r. what else is new), or does this bother you too?

I'm driving to work this morning, listening to the news on the radio, when they break to network news, detailing a story about that car bomb that went off in Lima, Peru. The news on that particular story, like many others detailing accidents, bombings, and assorted catastrophes, ended with "No Americans were killed or injured."

Like that is supposed to make us all feel better. "No Americans died; well then thats okay - they had funny accents anyway. Screw 'em." I never felt comfortable with that sentiment; just because they are foreign citizens doesn't make their lives meaningless. They have families who are going to mourn their loss, just as we do when our family members are killed.

I know foreign citizens, some of them are family members. I care for them as much or even more then some Americans I know. Maybe that makes me unpatriotic, but damn it, all life should be valued, regardless of their origin.

Okay, I'm feeling a little better getting that off my chest.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

Answers

I heard a newscaster say that there was the body of a little girl amongst the dead...still wearing her rollerskates. How horrible is that mental pcture!!

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

I understand! My sister-in-law is from Chile and has relatives that live there. My brother-in-law and his family live in Ecuador. We have other relatives that live abroad in various places. From their experiences, I've learned a bit about at least some of what happens in other parts of our hemisphere and the rest of the world. Americans are blessed with this nice big country up here where we only have to share the continent with our Canadian and Mexican buddies. And cursed with a sort of myopia, too. Can't see past our own borders.

In fairness to the newcasters (if I can bring myself to consider such a concept) they are probably reporting no Americans killed in terms of whether Americans (hell, they WERE Amercans, SOUTH Americans!) were targeted specifically by terrorists, etc.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

The only thing I can think of is that maybe they are trying to keep people here who may have relatives there from worrying. but I agree it does sound bad in the context of which you speak.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

JR, I totally agree with your sentiments. I think that the "average" American DOES consider Americans a lot more important than anyone else. It's part of the way that the President Select Strangeloves of the world can get away with massacre of innocents in foreign countries, alas.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

I don't know, I think people in EVERY country are more concerned with their own countrymen than the people of other countries (unless they have relatives there. I, for instance, have cousins that are Canadians and Swedes.)

But mostly, it seems to me that they found the item "newsworthy" enough to report here (just think how many news items occur in other countries that we never hear about), and since they did, they end with "no Americans were killed" to reassure people here that any loved ones visiting the area were not involved. For instance, if my Mother was visiting relatives in Sweden, and I heard that a car bomb went off in Borgholm, I would worry about her. However, if they say that no Americans were killed, I can be reassured.

Some of the reactions here prove that at least some Americans care about what has happened to people of other countries. So, sorry, I don't see all the flap?

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002

Joy makes a good point considering the blast was apparently only a hundred yards from the U.S. embassy and the president is supposed to visit there next week. If I had kinfolk or friends down there I'd want to know right off if I should be worrying. If the Shinging Path guerrillas really are reviving then we and the Peruvian government may have a problem.

Not to take anything away from their tragedy but people die in the literal millions every day, many of them violently. How much of it can you stand to hear about? It's certainly a tragedy to those involved or affected in some manner but to the rest of the world it's just another news story.

......Alan.

-- Anonymous, March 21, 2002