Comparing Tragedies

Discussion in 'Debate Corner' started by cstar, Apr 22, 2013.

  1. cstar stay away from my waifu

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    So I am pretty sure I am one of those proud people who shouts how I am a Bostonian all the time on this forum, but I will say anyway how I live in the Greater Boston Area. Recently (last week) we went through this whole Boston Marathon Explosion crisis where everyone was in a panic over here.
    Today we got back to school after April Vacation, and I got into my History class today and our teacher asked us to write a homework essay comparing the Boston Bombings to... either 9/11 or the Oklahoma Car Bombing....
    In my opinion, I absolutely hate the idea of comparing two tragic events next to each other. I want to know what others think about it...
    Now, we don't necessarily have to discuss it at that scale. Let me give another example based on another experience I had.
    When I was 8 my grandmother had died and I was feeling awful and did not go to school for a week. When I got back into school a girl went up to me an asked me why I was gone and I answered honestly. The girl looked at me, chuckled and said, "Well, both my uncles died in a car crash last week and I was in school. And that was much worse."
    So now I will repeat myself. What is your opinion about comparing tragedies? Do you think it is natural and okay to, or are you more like me and find it just disrespectful.
    If my side wasn't explained enough I will write a more detailed standing on my opinion if wanted.
     
  2. Arch Mana Knight

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    I was thinking of this earlier. I'm honestly fed up with the news right now. They're really only covering the Boston explosion and what they're going to do with the suspect they have.

    Nobody talks about the explosion in Waco. Even here on KHV. Last I checked, there were three replies to that thread. Objectively speaking, Waco had it worse. More people were injured. More damage was done. More people died. Yet every time I see the news on, and it's on a lot around this house, I've only seen what happened at Waco mentioned twice. Once when it happened and once the following day.

    That being said, you can objectively say what kind of tragedy is worse based on how much damage was done. What happened at Waco was much worse than what happened at Boston. People deal with tragedy differently. What happened at Waco, from my understanding, was nothing more than a terrible freak accident. What happened at Boston was not. So that's my guess as to why the news has basically shoved everything else under the radar.

    Still, just because what happened at Waco was worse doesn't mean that people at Boston should just get over it and count themselves lucky. Something terrible happened anyways. You don't dismiss one tragedy just because another one was worse. Everyone should be allowed to grieve.
     
  3. Misty gimme kiss

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    I'm taking a philosophy class right now so I've been thinking a lot about this idea. In particular we've been studying John Hospers, a hard determinist. For the sake of time I'll pull from my personal notes from the class:
    I am inclined to agree. No two people are exactly alike, and thus, their hardships cannot be compared. How I cope with death or trauma cannot be compared to how my friend does, because we are not the same person. Saying "I overcame this so why can't you?" is a product of pride; it follows the belief that every person is as lucky or well-poised to overcome hardship as you are.

    With tragedy it does get more complicated, but I believe the sentiment rings true. The Boston Bombings were a terrible, terrible thing and my heart goes out to allow those involved. Comparing it to 9/11, one might say that 9/11 is more tragic--higher death count, more damage, etc. But what purposes do these comparisons serve? A loss is a loss, a scar is a scar, no matter the circumstances. Some might seem deeper than others from an unmarked party, but you cannot know how people cope. Perhaps I could lose my entire family in a car crash and move on in three years, whereas Joe loses an acquaintance and is racked by the death for the rest of his life. I was "lucky" in that I could cope with loss better, but that doesn't make me a better or stronger person than Joe. We are all completely unique people, with unique causes and circumstances, that cannot be compared.

    So yes, I do find it disrespectful. Being judgmental enough to compare the tragedy or sufferings of one to another is not only prideful, but it does little to help either party. Suppose you could somehow prove to someone that someone, somewhere, is undergoing greater hardship and has overcome it--that's awesome, but it doesn't make what they're going through any easier to cope with.

    I will say this: the best teachers will reward free thought. If you feel strongly that these events cannot be compared, then say that. Write a one page homework on how all of these events are tragic, but cannot be quantified.
     
  4. Hyuge ✧ [[ Fairy Queen ]]

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    No offense Arch, but I don't think you were understanding what Cstar was asking.
    The question was, "Do you feel it's right to compare tragedies?" not, "Can you compare it to another tragedy?"

    And to that, I say it is not right to compare tragedies. A tragedy is just that, a tragedy. I think that when we start comparing which is worse, we are taking away the impact and devastation of one and making it seem like no big deal in comparison to another. It's true that the Boston bombings did not have nearly as meany deaths or as much devastation as 9/11, but it doesn't make it any less horrible.

    Comparing tragedies devalues the outcome of the lesser even though it is not really less. Sorry, I'm starting to sound redundant.
     
  5. nasirrich King's Apprentice

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    The thing I don't like about comparing tragedies is how some people feel the need to talk like they would do something if they were there, talking with that tough guy attitude, feeling like hot stuff.I have been in two school related shootings.

    The first one was when I was in Kindergarten and wow was that some scary stuff. Two dudes came loaded with machine guns and a semi auto. We had a guy in our classroom at the time who was security and like a sub teacher that was there just in case the extra helper teacher wasn't there. I saw one say go this way and he just dashed in that direction and started shooting. I remember having to keep my head down running down the back hallways outside and it all goes white from there.

    Next was the second week I was in this college and there was a gunman on campus. Wow I was just scared out of my life, but what made me calm down was the fact the swag kids who stay talking trash, claim to rep this hood and that one, swear they'd do this that and the third if there ever was a shooting. 1ST people to stay quiet crying, praying, all that stuff.

    So comparing those two is something that's completely disrespectful to me because they are just life changing experiences, and to even compare 9/11 to the car bombing I feel isn't fair at all just for those people who had to suffer through it and that to them is the worse experience in their lives. So why compare it to another thing that might have been as bad or worse when during that time their lives changed forever?

    Me personally I'd never agree to even doing it even if it was for a grade and take a zero or ask for something else. Actual any project I had like that I made sure to see if I could do something else because of the complete disregard for those lives lost, and those who had to suffer through those events are being compared like they are just an experiment in a group that hasn't been effected by this and a group who has. That's how I feel about this comparing events like that.

    If you really wanna compare why not think of how in other countries bombings like that take place all the time, people get shot for having different opinions on religion, or just in general and yet we compare it like its nothing. Maybe I'm over thinking things, but my step father who was born in Haiti told me those stories of how they would just fight to live for food for an hour not even the entire day. And still have to worry about what is going to happen the rest of the day. Getting paid 10 cents for 8 hours of working trying to make a living off of that. Dead bodies on the street, no help, shots being fired, rapes, like crazy thing.

    So I just take into consideration of how those people are forever effected by these terrible events and never want to compare something such things.
     
  6. 61 No. B

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    As grim as this sounds and as much as I hate to say this, the news companies are covering Boston more because people are more likely to stay tuned to hear about terrorism than they are to hear about a fertilizer plant explosion. The fact of the matter is is that people, in some twisted way, enjoy rallying together to be all anti-terrorism whenever something like this happens, and that just doesn't happen when the cause was an accident. The news companies are only doing what is in their best interest, which is the biggest problem with this whole situation.
     
  7. Peace and War Bianca, you minx!

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    Compared is a weird word to use. You can compare anything to gether, custard and a table, a book and gravel, my carpet to brain surgery. THey all can be compared against each other, but in terms of being similar and different that's just a given whenever you compare something.
    You can compare in the way that you can assess and judge the criteria of it, like people have said, the Waco bombings being at base worse compared to Boston. You can also compare the military strength of two countries, let's say America and Vietnam. America spends the most on it's military by miles in the world, compared to even the second placed country, yet it was the comparatively smaller forces in Vietnam that ultimately won.

    I only ever compare tragedies in terms of sympathy level. I know what it's like losing a member of your family, I can compare you and me to that. I know what it's like someone you were close with attempting suicide. I know how looking after autistic kids can be difficult and I can sympathise with the parents of them.

    I don't knw any other way to compare tragedies to another properly unless it's been through what I have experienced.
     
  8. Sara Tea Drinker

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    I honestly could never compare. The reason 9/11 hit me so hard was because I was in college at the time and had never seen anything like this happen before in America. I was old enough and able to get the whole footage of what happened live shot by shot while they talked. It rocked me deeply to the roots, and every spare moment I had, I was watching the events, the night of 9/11 I didn't get a wink of sleep watching it.

    The Boston bombing had my godmother involved. Though thank God she wasn't at the bombing sight at the time or I would've had a much deeper comparison. It still shook me to the core because of the fact that I go to Boston all the time, I go to these places that were mentioned and shown in the footage and it honest to God scared me at the fact I could've been there when it happened.

    Does this make me stronger or weaker than someone else? No, but it depends on their POV.

    If my grandmother died right this moment, my mom would be in deep and utter grief. I would be more upset about her reaction than her death. Why? Because I'm not close to my grandmother. I am close to my mom, very close. Someone else might think their pet dog or cat is more important than their grandmother or even mother and think it's ridiculous my mom reacts like she does. Some people are still most likely grieving and affected by 9/11 every day when for me it only happens around the said date.

    You can't compare tragedies, not in a person's POV because how you feel and how the teacher feels about both events are going to be different.
     
  9. Technic☆Kitty Hmm

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    I honestly wouldn't blame you if you laughed in your teachers face and told them you weren't going to do it. There's no way one would be able to compare tragedies on scales like these. To try and make such an outrageous comparison is . . . it's mind boggling just thinking about it. Sure, 9/11 was on a larger scale and there were more victims, but a tragedy is a tragedy.

    I can honestly say if my Grandmother died right now, I'd more than likely have to be institutionalized. I'm not good at loss. I don't do good with funerals. She's one of the few people in this world I hold honest feelings towards. I couldn't take a hit like that.

    I don't know what kind of teacher you have, but I will honestly say we wouldn't get along too well. To give out an assignment like this, and it sounds like they didn't even think about that hard, is completely ridiculous. You want to compare the two, many people suffered and are still suffering. Innocent bystanders were killed. They were both tragic events. There's your comparison, and about the only one I'd accept.
     
  10. Hyuge ✧ [[ Fairy Queen ]]

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    I SUGGESTED TO CSTAR THAT SHE PRINT OFF THIS THREAD AND SHOW IT TO HER TEACHER, BECAUSE ASKING FOR THEM TO DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE WAS JUST PLAIN WRONG. I HOPE YOU DECIDE(D) TO GO THROUGH WITH IT LEEB, BECAUSE I THINK YOUR TEACHER NEEDS A NEWSFLASH ABOUT WHAT (S)HE WAS ASKING YOUR CLASS TO DO. THE EXAMPLES ABOVE WERE ALL REALLY GOOD REASONS AS TO WHY IT IS WRONG. AND WHILE I HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A SITUATION LIKE A SHOOTING OR A BOMBING OR ANYTHING ELSE ALONG THOSE LINES, I HAVE BEEN THROUGH PLENTY OF TRAGEDIES AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO COMPARE THEM. THEY ARE BAD ENOUGH THE WAY IT IS AND TO TRY AND PUT THEM IN COMPARISON WOULD ONLY DEEPLY HURT THE WOUNDS THAT HAVE SPENT SO MUCH TIME HEALING.
     
  11. Doukuro Chaser

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    I'm too tired to read every post now so my examples could have been used already but this is a huge pet peeve of mine, or least the story about that kid. It's like saying 'you shouldn't be happy because I have it better than you.' Or 'you can't be hungry because I've eaten less than you.' Really stupid stuff.

    As for the assignment you should have the right to tell your teacher it makes you too uncomfortable, give a reason, and then not do it. If they don't see eye-to-eye that's a real shame but unless you're failing I don't see a reason to compromise on your morals just for a piece of paper. I did scroll up before posting and hyuge has a good idea too, so maybe try it.
     
  12. cstar stay away from my waifu

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    The assignment was due on Tuesday, so I had printed out this thread at around 6 am est. All posts before that were not seen by my teacher. He said by law he could not accept it as my assignment because it was not mine. Although he was glad I hadn't pasted it in a word document and claimed it as mine, so we both worked out a deal about it and I passed the assignment because he said he didn't expect anyone to take it to the internet and ask people their opinions about Comparing Tragedies. He also says he will try not to do assignments like these again because he didn't realize that was how people felt about it.

    Thank you guys for posting feedback though, I really enjoyed reading them. I don't think we have to close the conversation at that because this shouldn't be closed at my assignment being done. I just wanted people to have an update about that.