7 VS 7 - A tale of two tragedies

[jim]

On Saturday February 1st two groups of 7 people perished.

Which was the bigger loss?

The astronauts or the grade 10 students?

I don't know how the coverage of this played out in Ontario, but on the same day as the shuttle disaster, 7 grade 10 students from southern Alberta died in an avalanche near Revelstoke B.C.
This is the second time in about a week that 7 people died in the same area of the same cause.

What kind of coverage did the students receive in ONT?

To be brutally insensitive, could it not be argued that the loss of the students has the potential of being a greater loss to mankind? Could one of them have discovered the cure for MS? Cancer? etc?

May their souls be in a better place and the families affected find peace as they try and come to terms with this sudden turn of events.

There but by the grace of god....

 

[kwong_1978]

Tragic

Jim,

I couldn't agree with you more.

Tragic, young and full of hope. Like snipping a rose before it ever get a chance to bloom.

 

[Paul Waters]

What kind of coverage did the students receive in ONT?

Front page story on the Globe and Mail on Tuesday.

I have a philosophy about life: Do not fear death so that you do not live.

 

[Meesh]

To be brutally insensitive, could it not be argued that the loss of the students has the potential of being a greater loss to mankind? Could one of them have discovered the cure for MS? Cancer? etc?

Please don't think me callous, as I am grieved by both losses, but to continue the debate....

In the same way that we mourn someone killed in a traffic accident, but we are outraged at a police officer killed in the line of duty.

It should be remembered that the astronauts were WORKING, accepting a dangerous assignment and endeavouring to push the envelope of human knowledge.

The students were skiing. In the mountains. Where avalanches have been known to happen. For fun!

 

[Goober Mcfly]

Re: Re: 7 VS 7 - A tale of two tragedies

It should be remembered that the astronauts were WORKING, accepting a dangerous assignment and endeavouring to push the envelope of human knowledge.

The students were skiing. In the mountains. Where avalanches have been known to happen. For fun!

I agree with both these statements, but completely disagree with your analysis of them.

IMO, the kids' deaths are more tragic for the following reasons:

- they're young
- they weren't there as part of their jobs
- the risk in the mountains is far less than that of re-entering the earth's atmosphere
- they're kids
- they're Canadian (joking!!!)

Basically, the astronauts knew the risks and accepted them. It's tragic, but the students' deaths are more sad.

 

[Meesh]

I guess what I'm saying, is that the astronauts were in danger for a purpose. And to me, that makes it more tragic.

 

[panhead]

news in general

being from the states and watching the news on regular basis I kinda get sick of the over kill the some of these news events get. It seems to me that when something like this happens and thats all you here about for the next week. It's like the rest of the world comes to a stand still and nothing else matters. As it is a tragady, let it run it's course, let the experts do there work and determine the cause. Let the familys morn without seeing it plasterd all over the place and report all the world events as they are all important to someone.

 

[fflowley]

Why does one tragedy have to be weighed against another in terms of how much the press pays attention to them?

Many of us accept that the press is idiotic in the way they publicize certain events. You should reflect on these events personally and decide how YOU feel about them. Stop letting the press tell you how to think about things.

Flooey!

 

[jim]

Why does one tragedy have to be weighed against another in terms of how much the press pays attention to them?

Many of us accept that the press is idiotic in the way they publicize certain events. You should reflect on these events personally and decide how YOU feel about them. Stop letting the press tell you how to think about things.

Flooey!

You are absolutely correct! I would go a step further and say that the press is idiot in it's coverage of most news stories.

Another tragedy occured yesterday off the coast of NFLD. 5 of 6 hunters (I thought they were fishermen out there) died when the small boat they were in capsized.

I had a teacher who said his philosophy of life was that when you are born it is like jumping off a cliff, eventually you will hit the ground. You might as well enjoy the ride, the ending will be the same regardless.

Take care all.

 

[pblues]

Derringer was talking about this very same topic on Q107 the other day. I agree, there wasn't enough said about the people who died in BC. It's a shame that the Canadian media didn't think it important enough to talk about. To give you an example 680 news had their 'indepth team coverage' on the shuttle disaster. The youths who died in BC were mentioned as a footnote.

 

[bigmoe69er]

Perceptions of Tragedy

Fflowley best expressed the fact that the amount of press coverage does not dictate the magnitude of tragedy. More mourners, in turn, do not necessarily signify lives of greater consequence from the mourned. All innocent victims share equal billing in the cosmos. ---Dr. Moe