Calibrating Distress

Sappho

For those of you who use ‘social media,’ did you notice how quickly concern for the dead lion evoked angry complaints that ‘black lives matter?’

People weren’t done mourning for whoever they were mourning for and they resented the outrage about the lion. Then some geniuses wrote think-pieces suggesting that it’s not an either/or situation: We could be upset about black lives AND lions.

Me, I don’t know what to feel upset about, or rather, what to put at the top of my list. There is just too much going on.

Mass shootings, police shootings, dead lions, Donald Trump, dead Palestinian baby, starving children in Yemen, transgender teen bullying, more riots in Ferguson, and a little hippo being mauled to death (Daily Mail online, don’t look!)

I couldn’t even feel a thing for the latest movie theater episode, except to feel sorry for Amy Schumer. Am I broken?

I don’t understand why the poor Palestinian baby is worth more discussion that the dying refugees in Yemen, complete with malnourished babies who look like tiny skeletons.

And while we’re on the subject, I was unable to be horrified at Planned Parenthood for marketing fetus organs. If someone wants to abort a fetus, why can’t it be used to promote life elsewhere? Because ‘life begins at conception?’ Why do Americans care so much more about the unborn than the born?

Tonight, there is a woman out on the cliffs near my house, deciding whether to jump. There are helicopters and firetrucks and lots of commotion. I would personally go out to talk to her if I were allowed to. Meanwhile, people on our local community Facebook page are sending their prayers or complaining about the noise. A couple of people want her to jump and get it over with.

I’ll bet you anything that those people are beside themselves about the fucking lion.

This entry was posted in Disorders, Horrible Stuff, News and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to Calibrating Distress

  1. Muscato says:

    The price we pay for instant connectivity is information overload. I try – not terriby successfully – to balance remembering that bad things happen everywhere and always have with some kind of recognitioin that there can be some kind of importance in knowing at least some of what those bad things are

    It can’t be right to wilfully ignore the world – but lord sometimes it’s tempting.

  2. Romeo says:

    What about our injured vets? Why didn’t they merit a mention in your litany of stuff to be outraged by?

  3. Nephew Notwolf says:

    Not sure why you would assume a correlation between the traits “pissy about being inconvenienced by a person’s suicidal despair” and “frustrated about living in a world where assholes with lots of money get to kill anything they want” but, that aside, I hope we can agree on this important point: neighborhood Facebook pages are intrinsically awful and should be avoided!

  4. Janet says:

    Wow. Wish you could go talk to the would-be jumper.
    xoxo
    Janet

  5. Sam says:

    Sounds like someone needs a hug?

  6. Dj says:

    Pick your object of hysteria…such a huge variety!

  7. Sister Wolf says:

    Muscato – Yep, balance is a tough one. because ignorance isn’t bliss, it’s just ignorance. xo

    Romeo – Hahahahahahahahaha. My bad.

    Nephew Notwolf – Well, your sister introduced me to those pages but some are more egregious than others. I did enjoy a little exchange with a mean girl named ‘Starlina.’

    Janet – SHE DIDN’T JUMP after staying out there all night!!!!!

    Sam – Yeah, the girl on the cliff.

    Dj – Donald Trump seems like a safe bet actually. I’ll try to focus on him.

  8. Suspended says:

    I’m so, so glad she didn’t jump and I hope she can see a way forward.

    When did people become unimportant and inconvenient? I despair of this world. I recall reading, some time ago, about someone being goaded from atop a high-rise by people filming on their phones. I struggle with the concept of God and heaven and hell but I sure hope there’s a special place somewhere for this type of human excrement.

    Hope all is well with you and yours, Sister xoxo

  9. Dj says:

    Sending prayers…really.

  10. Donna Trexler says:

    Brilliant.

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