Who was it that said "As we are all solipsists, and all die, the world dies with us?"
9/11 is a great human tragedy. But, it is not the greatest human tragedy. On an historical scale, the deaths of 3000 innocent people is relatively small. As Americans, we regard each of those deaths personally. They belong to us. But what of those that belong to "others." I find, for example, that I lack the capacity to grieve for the estimated 40,000 Iraqi civillians killed since the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom with the same depth as the victims of 9/11. So, I have to remind myself that every victim is a world destroyed. It can be overwhelming. Perhaps that is why we lack the same empathy for all victims of human violence. Or, perhaps it is simply solipsism--our victims are the only "true" victims.
11 years ago
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