The events that have occurred in Paris over the weekend are clearly heart breaking. Over 100 lives were taken in a series of terrorist attacks and that country as well as many hearts and minds in America are reeling.
One of the key things that I noticed surrounding these events was the amount of people pointing to other events of misery in the world and wondering why those were not receiving nearly as much attention as those in Paris.
I completely understand the sentiment around these posts. It is a big world with a lot of heart ache and on the most human level it is important to recognize that no human life is more important than the next.
But the one thing that I cannot stand is people calling out others for having feelings of sympathy and empathy. True, it often takes a massive tragedy that is highly publicized for people to access these feelings and display them openly. But, these feelings should never be shutdown when they occur.
Showing support in whatever capacity cannot be discounted. True, simply by making a Facebook post, changing a profile picture to reflect the French flag, circulating clips of the French national anthem, or by sending a Tweet we are not changing the world.
But certainly the sentiment must be worth something. Surely the recognition of suffering in the world and reaching out and showing some sort of support for people is worth something.
Sure, actions speak louder than words, but sometimes words are all we have and we should never shut somebody down for expressing their empathy and sympathy. These are simple, human moments that serve to remind us that no matter what side of the Atlantic you are on, your knowledge or connections to France that we are still bound by the same humanity and to acknowledge and express sympathy/empathy for those who are suffering is one way how we express that shared humanity.
The internet and these posts one day will provide some kind of historical record. When we look back on these Tweets and posts we will see the care and empathy that we felt. I’d rather see that than nothing at all.
The Xavierite Editorial Board