Why isn't there the same sympathy for Kenyan attacks?

Make that the last four posts!

We can feel desperately sorry and angry for people the world over when atrocities happen, but when it happens in a city just a short train journey away, which many of us know, have visited or lived in and may have friends and relatives working in, it does bring it closer to home and make people more fearful.

I utterly agree with the last six posts.
Because it is closer to home, the fact that Britain is on the highest level of alert and that the violence seems to be escalating is, whether we like it or not, bound to be making people fearful.

I am desperately sorry for anyone affected by violence anywhere in the world and just wish there was a solution.

I agree with you bags 're your post of 16:12 and earlier ones - I care about the victims in France but I don't think changing my status on Facebook is necessary to show that.

My post 're the recent bombings in Beirut ("the Paris of the Middle East") refers to media coverage.

I am sure that the great majority of us feel deep revulsion for these attrocities, no matter where they take place. It's nothing to do with racism, or any other ism. But it is perfectly natural to feel more deeply affected by an attack right here in Europe. Many of us love France and can identify with the french people more than we can with those in a far off country. But we still care, and fervently wish that all world violence would stop.

Can it be fear with sympathy for France ?

Not sure I understand what you mean by that, ab. Could you expand your idea a bit, please?

Why do we care more about people closer to us than those far away? If we abhor atrocities and terrorism then it shouldn't matter if it's in France, Africa or the next street.

I think the media coverage is fuller when the victims are predominately European or American. The events in Africa got some coverage but not in the way the French terror attack has or the Twin Towers got (and still gets).

I suspect media cover if fuller when things happen in a place with easy access for reporters.

The Kenyan mall shootings had a lot of coverage.

We didn't have a thread about the Beirut suicide bombings either.

But it's human nature to feel more outrage when these happen close to home.

Right this minute, I care more about the recent atrocities in France, because I live here, have French family here, and a young and loved French nephew living in Paris. It was thanks to fb. and the 'safe' alert page that I knew he was ok. So forgive me if my thoughts cannot expand to the wider world in these past few days. I am not unaware of the devastation that has occurred in recent years, but for now I hold my sadness close to home.

Glad he is safe ffin.

Thanks J.

I think the media coverage is fuller when the victims are predominately European or American.
vq Do you mean the British/European press?

Because when there was the atrocity on the Tunisian beach I was on the other side of the world; it got some coverage but not much and many people I spoke to were unaware of it.
People where I was were more aware of events like a cyclone which had wiped out South Pacific islands whereas that was barely covered here.

I think it's natural to cover news which is more local to home or involves people we may know or feel close to.

finnochio I am glad your DN is safe.

Sorry I wasn't clear. The European and US media.

I'm sorry I offended you finnochio. It's natural to be more concerned when you have family and friends somewhere that is under attack.

My comments were of a more general nature regarding those who have no personal involvement.

I cannot comment about the media elsewhere in the world as I have no experience of it other than the odd article read online.

I wasn't making any assumptions at all, thatbags. I am merely interested to know why cities with a huge proportion of immigrants from non-western countries didn't choose to colour their buildings in colours of flags when other countries were bombed, in the same way they are doing now. Also why facebook only produced blue, white and red colourings for the Charlie Hebdo shootings in January, but not Kenyan ones a couple of months later. The whole world is suffering from the attacks. I merely wondered if it was don to a lack of communication from organisations such as the BBC, who have fewer people on site, or was there some other reason, as we do have an awful lot of expats everywhere and you would think they would kick up a fuss.

Why would they 'kick up a fuss'? I'd have thought that the last thing on people's minds at such times would be to throw a strop because FB wasn't being inclusive enough...

I can think of two answers to that straight off, stillhere. One is that the other places aren't right next door. France is. The other is that in places like Iraq and Syria, the violence and destruction has been going on for a very long time and people are disaster weary and feel completely helpless about such war torn places. France isn't a war torn place and perhaps we don't feel so helpless about defending it.

Does the fact that I haven't put any flags on my FB mean that I don't care about all the places and all the events I never mention?

NO, it doesn't. I would apply the same to everyone else. Don't assume.

The France is nect door thing only applies to some countries of course. My answers were off the top of my head. I guess I just find such questions annoying. One could equally well ask why we don't change the flag or some other "caring symbol" on our social media accounts every day.

Pish.

What are the people who are assuming we don't have the same sympathy for the victims of the Kenyan attacks doing? Have they got Kenyan flags on their social media pages? Are they sending visible sympathy?

And there you have it. This is about visible sympathy. Sympathy doesn't have to be visible to exist.

I'll repeat that because that is the crux: sympathy doesn't have to be visible to exist.

So the question in the title is assumptive and silly. I resent such assumptiveness. I regard it as judgmental.

Elsewhere I've seen such calls for universal and visible sympathy termed "grief hipsterism". Quite.

Forgive my ranting. I woke up in more than usual pain this morning. The effect this has is to make me feel (vene more than usually) kickass towards silliness.

I did add the French flag to my fb page and agree with all the posts above that sensibly acknowledge why what happened in Paris has resulted in such a level of empathy and support for its citizens from the majority of people in the UK. It shouldn't need to be spelled out that joining in solidarity with France doesn't mean I don't care about the dreadful events in other countries. I do find the "i'm more compassionate, inclusive and right on than you" response tedious.