This is the Raleigh News & Observer, September 14, 2006. The large picture, with a predominance of orange, heads up a lengthy story about Raleigh’s sanitation crews, who staged a surprise walkout yesterday, complaining about unpaid overtime and other issues.
To the right is a one column piece about 65 bodies found in Baghadad yesterday and 25 more killed in other violence. In the far lower left is an image representing a page 14 story headlined “Gunman Shoots 20 at College in Montreal”.
You know what I say?
WHO’S GOING TO CLEAN UP THIS MESS?
technorati tags:warlick, mess, future
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David, this is easily explained. It’s a manifestation of one aspect of Parkinson’s Law, the Law of Triviality. In essence, it states that the more trivial something is, the more easily understood it is by more people, and therefore the greater the time will be devoted to discussing it. Nobody can grasp the concept of someone shooting at schoolchildren, or of discovering dozens of bodies. But everyone knows what a garbage can is.
Today I was really sad reading this post. I thought of the families. They are grieving and struggling, and you’ve asked, “Who’s going to clean up this mess?”
What about sending out prayers and compassion to our brothers and sisters who are in need and who are in pain?
What about global citizenship?
Maybe the newspaper editors about their readers’ limits for grief. Death and dying could be lead articles every day of the week and cover page after page, but who wouldn’t be driven to despair and throw up their hands as many have done already. A sanitation strike at least has an end in sight. It doesn’t necessarily imply a lack of empathy.