h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>> ... it is depressingly easy to be depressingly effective.<<

As a single school kid or college student has demonstrated in recent times.

Yes

those of us who grew up in Europe in the 60s and 70s became painfully aware of just how often reporting an "abandoned" bag could (have) be(en) effective in preventing some things.

Awareness of what is around you (and I am also aware that my background makes me extra careful about this stuff to the extent that some of my friends - those who haven't known me long, mostly - think it's over the top)

On the less healthy side we have people stereotyping and moving away from people of certain ethnic origins or religous persuasions on public transport and glaring suspiciously as they happen to be carry a backpack or wearing an overcoat.

And other suchlike behaviour and worse

It's only in the last year or two that I've noticed litter bins reappearing at railway stations. I think these were removed following the IRA bombs in Warrington 20 years ago (but correct me if I'm wrong). The bins in place now are transparent plastic bags in holders.

But we haven't had bombs in bins since then (just a few extremists with rucksacks on the trains).

>> On the less healthy side we have people stereotyping and moving away from people of certain ethnic origins or religous persuasions on public transport and glaring suspiciously as they happen to be carry a backpack or wearing an overcoat. <<

Some people view long beards on males as suspicious, while others view clean shaven (on males) as suspicious.

I think "everyone" would view as suspicious a long beard on a female

Moustaches seem to be common with some women though.

Long beards on women were being touted on TV last week I noticed. It'll never catch on.

You're right Icy, it was following the Warrington bombs that litter bins were removed from all stations.

A few started to creep back in at the quieter stations a few years ago, but really not many. They have started to appear a bit more recently though, but I'm now wondering for how long

The bleariness has not yet cleared from my eyes. I saw "Warrington bombs" and thought I was seeing "Washington bombs."

I think I will take public transit downtown today.

Well I hope they stay

There is nothing wrong with a sense of awareness but at that same time we shouldn't allow acts of terrorism to define or influence our lives, to that degree, in this country anyway.

Go run your marathons, watch it if you intended to, get back on the buses, the tubes whatever.

If you have these always on the back of your mind, or worse to the fore the people that have committed the acts of extremeism have won something and that is undeserved

I agree, peanut, but basically I'm foolhardy. Besides, many life-threatening accidents happen within a quarter mile of home. i might actually be *safer* away from home.

I have a real yen to be a farmer Paulh, not only a poor career choice it seems but really quite a dangerous occupation apparently

I had an uncle who was a farmer. He lost some fingers in corn reaper one time. He ultimately lived to be 96, though. After my aunt died, he remarried and was quite happy in his declining years.

As tragic and detestable this bombing is, things like that have become too much an everyday occurance in places like Iraq or Syria to be reported (much) by our news agencies. Bombing that kill dozens of people. Compared to that suffering, the Boston bombs were on a much smaller scale.

I am not saying this to belittle the suffering of the victims in Boston. Nor am I saying this as a "well, finally them Americans see what it's like". But I find it disturbing that the suffering of some people seems to be more important than the suffering of other folks.

Nevertheless,

I think it's more a case that news agencies will always prioritise news that's closer to home.

In the UK we do hear about the bombings in Iraq and pretty much most countries, but anything that's seen as closer to home will always get more air time.

I've been informed that it's the same in places like India too, where the news agencies there will prioritise events in their own country and region.

The clue's in the word, too. News is largely things that are new. Bombings in Syria are an everyday occurrence now, sadly. Bombing the Boston marathon is unprecedented.

It's complicated but there is no denying the fact that one small part of it is we don't value the lives of people the further away they are to us, in space and culture (e.g. muslim beardy people). There is also another factor at play which involves how we perceive individuals versus statistics.

But that's natural and I'm not sure why it's something to be ashamed about.

Do you care about me as much as you care about your mother?

Of course we care more about people who are related to us first, then friends next, then colleagues, then other people in our shared cultural heritage - i.e. fellow countrymen followed by those who live in the same sphere of influence.
That works both ways too - I'm sure muslim beardy people care more about each other than they do about use white beardless (mostly, not me ;) people who don't share and religious or cultural connection with us.

That doesn't mean we should hate each other either and not care at all - but I always find it a bit ridiculous that some expect us to react with the same levels of empathy world around. That way lies too much pain and anguish to possibly cope with I would think.

I was with you Orcus for the ' Do you care about me as much as you care about your mother?

Of course we care more about people who are related to us first, then friends next, then colleagues'

The rest of it *groak*

I empathise with people, cultural, ethnic whatever backround

First and foremost as person, fellow human being, then a parent, daughter, sister,

It is not the same grief,emotions but I can identify nonetheless as a person in all my hues