After the tragic events of Nice, writing a blog post is hard, and my otherwise abundant sarcasm feels completely inappropriate today.
Being the background of that catastrophy whatever it may be – today the public still knows next to nothing, but the right-wing nuts already abuse grief for their hatred – the natural reaction of fear is not appropriate. We fear too much, but not the dangerous things: trips in a railway have always been safer than any trip in a car, but after that train accident in Italy (or any other) our feelings betray us with a subconscious fear, making us behave differently. And if that tragedy in Nice has a terrorist background (up to now there are only scarce facts known about the assassin), that fear would be exactly the intended effect. So I do hope that the majority keeps calm and does not sacrifice freedom for a safety it will never achieve. France was one of the origins of humanism, and in spite of all the recent bloodshed, it seems that a great part of the society still sticks to those values.
My deepest sympathy goes to the victims, their relatives and friends.
Deinem Kommentar kann ich mich nur anschließen.
Und das Foto ist prächtig. Damit könntest Du bei dem iPhone Photography Award mitmachen.
Die Plakatwand wirkt wie ein informelles Gemälde von Hann Trier.
Grüße, Uwe
Ich hab’ nochmal genauer hingeguckt:
Ist das überhaupt eine Plakatwand?
Ja, Uwe – in der U-Bahn-Station, vom Bahnsteig aus gesehen “hinter” dem Gleis. Deswegen ist es auch vermutlich so grob von Plakatresten gereinigt: Die Zeitfenster für diese Arbeiten sind kurz.
Aber ein bißchen Blau-Weiß-Rot ist noch zu sehen, und so fand ich’s zu diesem traurigen Anlass doppelt passend.
Indeed. Scaremongering seems to be the standard reaction of most politicians. There are few that have the courage to say “I don’t know”.
A fitting photograph.
I guess we all have to stand up and get clear on the fact that the proposed “simple” solutions are no solutions for a complex world (And those proposing these are no suitable candidates for decision takers…) At least this is what I try to teach my children.
In the end, education is a key factor for all societies. Really educated people will not allow to be trampled upon, and will not do so either. The half educated ones are – dangerous.
Markus, you have eloquently expressed what so many of us have felt. Nice suffered a horrible tragedy at the hands of a disturbed, misguided individual. We all feel sorrow for the victims and those close to them. But this tragedy should not alter our lives out of fear.
Thanks, Jeff. It seems that Orlando was a not unsimilar setup. The mixture of (sexual) suppression and a traditional, paternal world view plus propaganda with a salvation promise can bring a weak individual to do unbelievable things.
Hi, Markus,
Nice photo, and, as the other commenters have said, excellent post.