::rawr::
Time for everyone to think I’m an insensitive prick who doesn’t care.
Here goes…
Audrey Seiler was found alive today – that’s all the information I know, it’s all that anyone really knows. I’m sure more will come out later. For her friends and family, I am sure they are overjoyed, relieved, overwhelmed, etc., etc. I have never known anyone who has gone missing or anything even close to that, so I will remain base in my statements of emotions. I simply don’t know exactly how they are feeling.
I don’t know Audrey, despite the fact that we are the same age and, last year, were on the same campus. I also do not know anyone who knows her (that I am aware of, that could very well be false). So, therefore, I cannot say that I truly care. People go missing every single freaking day, most often “poor” people, teen girls, young children, and the list continues. No one seems to care until a pretty, most likely popular (I apologize for the assumption, but it is simply what comes to mind) student from a well-known, wealthy university disappears. Then it becomes incredibly important and the focus of everyone.
There is something so wrong with this. If you know her – care. If you are related to her – care. If you simply opened your issue of The Daily Cardinal and read about it, I have to question you. Why is it that you care now? Is it because it was brought to your attention and you feel that it is the “in” thing to do to care? I’m talking to my mother as I’m writing this and she thinks that there might be some sort of psychological reason as to why some people feel compelled to care.
Not me. Call be a heartless bitch, but I don’t really care. I am more concerned about my father’s health, my brother’s recording, my mom’s stress from her mother, Mark and Val and Ani’s lives, my grades, etc., etc.
I am thrilled that there ARE people that head organizations that look for missing people, should I ever need to locate a loved one that has slipped through the cracks. I am happy that there are people that devote their life to this. But it is not me. And it shouldn’t be something that is done just because it is “cool”, the “in” thing, or anything like that.
Do what you want – this isn’t an attempt at preaching, though I know it sounds like it. It is just some literary bitching. My therapist cancelled my session this week and I need some sort of release. Also, due to forgetfulness and stupidity, I have not taken any Lexapro in almost 2 weeks. Needless to say, something is about to break.
I just can’t let it be me.
for me it’s not at all about the appearance of caring. it’s about compassion for fellow human beings.
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personally, i care because she disappeared from my neighborhood and in those cases all you do is think “it could have been me”. i’m not all like “thats MY school, omg i’m so cool, but I am *so* glad for her family and friends.
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I agree with you in the sense of how irritating it is when people care because society/the press wants them to. by the way, your tattoo sounds awesome. i love chinese characters, im sure it will look cool!
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yeah, media attention on such cases (such as elizabeth smart) really distorts things… hundreds of kids go missing every day, what makes this one so extra special? However, anyone who goes through that deserves sympathy… just maybe not the sympathy of like the whole country 😛 (and dude, I got stuck in the traffic jam on john nolan today because of her! 😉 j/k)
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Ok.. I just want to point out a few things. First, Elizabeth Smart was abducted.. she did not just “runaway”. The media attention on her was to draw attention to her face around the US to help find her… not as some “popularity” thing. Ok enough about that. The fact that the girl you speak of was attacked previously makes it more than just a typical runaway…
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And although I know what you are trying to say about the caring/compassion issue… I can’t help but slightly disagree. Take one example that was a horrible tragedy. Attack on the world trade centers in new york. Many people felt emotionally attacked even if they didn’t know anyone in there who fell victim to it…
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but we came together as a nation and held prayers… etc. Now, what makes that any different from what that girl’s family did? The reason most of us cared was because it happened on our backyard… and thats another reason why most people do care about things like abductions and attacks and murders. Runaways get a fair amount of attention in their respective communities…
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And I guess it comes back to compassion. How much can you limit your compassion? I don’t think that on the UW campus it is a talking point of popularity or prestige to have one of your peers abducted. And I guess those are the only two things I disagree with you, but I do think you have a point that if it is indeed talked about teh way you describe, with false compassion, that we are better off…
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not giving people that false sense of compassion. Bah, I rambled on but I just wanted to give an example I guess and try to understand.
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