207 dead, including several Americans, after explosions across Sri Lanka on Easter

[NobodyHere]

207 dead, including several Americans, after explosions across Sri Lanka on Easter

Ugh, wtf is wrong with some people.

[MrBug708]

I'm always curious as to why this thread, with the amount of deaths, including Americans, isn't as popular or interesting as the one on attacks in New Zealand? Isn't because we are numb on Islamic terrorism? Is it because the New Zealand attack was carried out in a western country? Christian deaths by Muslims not as newsworthy? It wasn't carried out by a White Nationalist? The current news focus not trigger any popular or trending words so the story stays buried?

Mass attack in mosque(s) in New Zealand - Front Office Football Central

What's sad is that the Still Lankan Police knew the attack was coming and there just isn't anything people can do to stop it

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Is it because the New Zealand attack was carried out in a western country?

This one. Sad but true.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I'm always curious as to why this thread, with the amount of deaths, including Americans, isn't as popular or interesting as the one on attacks in New Zealand? Isn't because we are numb on Islamic terrorism? Is it because the New Zealand attack was carried out in a western country? Christian deaths by Muslims not as newsworthy? It wasn't carried out by a White Nationalist? The current news focus not trigger any popular or trending words so the story stays buried?

Mass attack in mosque(s) in New Zealand - Front Office Football Central

What's sad is that the Still Lankan Police knew the attack was coming and there just isn't anything people can do to stop it

All of it. And it wasnt committed using guns.

[Shkspr]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I'm always curious as to why this thread, with the amount of deaths, including Americans, isn't as popular or interesting as the one on attacks in New Zealand?

Because we just got home from spending Easter with family?

But in the interest of equivalency, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that suicide bombing should be illegal.

[thesloppy]

I dunno if the lack of shock in this corner of the world is really explicitly about anything to do with racism or insensitivity to that kind of the world, so much as Sri Lanka is a place where that kind of religious & race motivated violence is still unfortunately not entirely remarkable....their civil war ended 10 years ago.

[EagleFan]

Originally Posted by Shkspr

Because we just got home from spending Easter with family?

This. Timing is everything.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

This one. Sad but true.

I'll grant you this plays a role but think its more because Sri Lanka hasn't really been "connected" to us, the country is not known to the US.

A tragedy like this in Japan would have been covered more than Sri Lanka.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I'll grant you this plays a role but think its more because Sri Lanka hasn't really been "connected" to us, the country is not known to the US.

A tragedy like this in Japan would have been covered more than Sri Lanka.

My social media (which you might accurately suspect has unusually high percentage of Christians in the make up) was so all over it that I was sick of the story before some folks finished their lunch.

And I'll be completely honest: about 90% of the posts were of the "why isn't this being covered" variety, rather than the oh-how-awful variety.

[Izulde]

My social media (which has a high percentage of news watchers) was remarkably quiet on it. Other than mine, there were maybe two other people who referenced it.

I do think it was because of Easter, and I suspect we'll see a much bigger surge the first couple days this week as people get back to work.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

207 dead, including several Americans, after explosions across Sri Lanka on Easter

Ugh, wtf is wrong with some people.

Up to 290 now.

We may not view it as a war about religion but some do.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I dunno if the lack of shock in this corner of the world is really explicitly about anything to do with racism or insensitivity to that kind of the world, so much as Sri Lanka is a place where that kind of religious & race motivated violence is still unfortunately not entirely remarkable....their civil war ended 10 years ago.

I’m not trying to be a cynical asshole but a bunch of people getting killed, while sad, is not surprising in Sri Lanka. I’m shocked it’s not under a US travel ban still. I think they grow tea there. Def not a safe place

[panerd]

People are selfish and egocentric. 20 people shot, some killed, in high drug crime areas in Chicago vs 1 local woman carjacked and uninjured in suburbs. Most people don't plan on being in the first one but could very much see themselves being the other. The news knows this also and covers the one they know people care about.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by stevew

I’m not trying to be a cynical asshole but a bunch of people getting killed, while sad, is not surprising in Sri Lanka. I’m shocked it’s not under a US travel ban still. I think they grow tea there. Def not a safe place

I worked with someone who spent 6 weeks in Sri Lanka last summer and she said she felt totally safe the whole time. I won't see her until next week to see of she spend time in any of the places

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by panerd

People are selfish and egocentric. 20 people shot, some killed, in high drug crime areas in Chicago vs 1 local woman carjacked and uninjured in suburbs. Most people don't plan on being in the first one but could very much see themselves being the other. The news knows this also and covers the one they know people care about.

Excellent point

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

My social media (which you might accurately suspect has unusually high percentage of Christians in the make up) was so all over it that I was sick of the story before some folks finished their lunch.

And I'll be completely honest: about 90% of the posts were of the "why isn't this being covered" variety, rather than the oh-how-awful variety.

And the thing is, it WAS being covered. It was the top story on my Google News feed Saturday (granted, really late on Saturday) and it was headlined on the network newscasts yesterday.

[JPhillips]

The media is all over the ignored warnings. How could the Sri Lankan government let that happen?

They're all going to be so outraged when they learn about, Bin Laden Determined to Strike the U.S.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I worked with someone who spent 6 weeks in Sri Lanka last summer and she said she felt totally safe the whole time. I won't see her until next week to see of she spend time in any of the places

I work with a Sri Lankan guy and he says it's been largely a safe country for about 10 years now, ever since the civil war ended. At least according to him he thinks that's why the warnings were ignored - seemed very unlikely to actually happen, because the government had been lulled into a false sense of calm.

It had been a growing tourist destination from Australia, and I know a handful of people who have gone there the last couple of years. That will dry up now I imagine.

[tarcone]

OMG A BILLIONAIRE LOST 3 FAMILY MEMBERS!!!!!!!!!

Who cares about the other 287 A BILLIONAIRE WAS AFFECTED

I hate the media

[cuervo72]

Eh, in fairness it's a lot easier to pick out family member of a billionaire than it is Sri Lankan person #247. Their deaths don't mean any more or any less, but until you dig up something interesting about other victims or talk to their families, there's not much of an angle there.

It's not much different from reports from the Titanic focusing on Astor or Guggenheim rather than the poor Irish down in the third class.

[tarcone]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Eh, in fairness it's a lot easier to pick out family member of a billionaire than it is Sri Lankan person #247. Their deaths don't mean any more or any less, but until you dig up something interesting about other victims or talk to their families, there's not much of an angle there.

It's not much different from reports from the Titanic focusing on Astor or Guggenheim rather than the poor Irish down in the third class.

But thats the thing, I could care less. Maybe Im in the minority. But there are a lot of families affected, yet the really rich guy has to have our sympathy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

And the thing is, it WAS being covered. It was the top story on my Google News feed Saturday (granted, really late on Saturday) and it was headlined on the network newscasts yesterday.

This is a thing I deal with constantly on my social media. This weekend comes on the heels of a very recent spate of complaint posts about the lack of coverage of the attack on a Christian school ... IN 2015. I just posted links to the FXNC, CNN, and BBC stories at the time and left 'em there.

None of it - from anybody - was about actual concern for 200whatever people halfway around the world, it was just a chance to make a different point & mostly to bitch about something.

[Brian Swartz]

I think you have a good point, but your outrage is directed at the wrong place. The media only report what sells, and celebrity news does so a lot more than non-celebrity news. The common man basically just cares more about the lifestyles of the rich and famous.