The 24/7 TV news cycle is infatuated with either beheadings or Ebola. The American response to these horrific situations is unsettling. There were warning signs to both, and if the US had paid attention earlier to the circumstances which spawned these terrible events, we would be far less concerned. The Ebola crisis has been going on for months (my first post on the outbreak in West Africa was on 29 March 2014). If the US had sent aid at that time, the situation would have been far less dire. The mortality rate for untreated Ebola is about 90%; the mortality rate for Ebola victims who are given just care and antibiotics is 50% (seemingly the same rate for the 4 people who have received the new vaccine, ZMapp). Why US policy does not kick in until American citizens are directly threatened is beyond my understanding. And why American citizens get so freaked out by highly improbable scenarios defies logic.
About 35,000 walruses are crowded onto a small beach in Alaska as the animals have been forced to forage and rest on land as their typical environment of sea ice has receded. Scientists believe that global warming is responsible for the change in the habitat, a change that has also forced changes in the behavior of polar bears. The Arctic has experienced the most significant temperature changes on the planet, and it is a particularly fragile environment.
Reports of brutality have emerged from the Syrian city of Kobani, as Islamic State fighters have tightened their siege of the city. The siege has been going on for about 20 days, and American air strikes have only been of limited value as the Kurdish forces protecting the city are short of ammunition and guns. Turkey has authorized the use of its military to protect Turkish interests in Syria, but Turkey has thus far been unwilling to aid the Kurds holding off the attack on the city. If the city falls, about 200,000 civilians will be at risk.
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I also ponder this question: why does US policy not kick in until Americans are directly threatened? Maybe one of your students will emerge as a leader who can unite us as a country to take some major action that demonstrates our understanding of the interconnected world and our responsibility. To whom much is given. . my brother’s keeper . . for whom the bell tolls. . there are many beautiful statements of morality that should be in our minds and hearts.
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Dear Catherine,
I couldn’t agree more. I have no doubts that this generation of students will lead us out of the parochial world of nation-states and into a global civic society. They are acutely aware of how interdependent the world is. But more importantly, they are more appreciative of how delightful a multicultural universe can be. They also are mastering the tools to forge these connections in much greater detail. They give me hope every day.
Best,
Vinnie
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