Short Term Memory

In the news, stories of death and destruction come and they go. It seems that just as soon as one horrible tragedy catches our attention, something more important or pertinent quickly washes the event out of our mind. Things like an unexpected warm spell in today's weather, our plans to go to the movies tonight, watching the big game on T.V.. Such short term memory. The problems of others are just fodder to grab headlines. Something to talk about around the water cooler. Here today, gone tomorrow. Well not for everyone.

Gloucester, VA

Two people killed in a tornado (2011).

Yeah, that's a real shame. What's for dinner?

Newtown, CT

27 people gunned down by a deranged individual, 20 elementary school children (2012).

Oh, that breaks my heart. Do you want to do some shopping after work?

Haiti

316,000 people killed by an earthquake, 300,000 injured, 1,000,000 homeless (2010).

Wow, that's rough. You know there are no building codes in that part of the world?

Indonesia

280,000 people killed by a Tsunami (2004).

Did you see those idiots playing in the ocean as the water went out? I would have been heading for higher ground.

Paraphrasing Joseph Stalin, the death of one is a tragedy, the death of many is a statistic.