You are here: Home › Thoughts › LIfe’s Tragedies

LIfe’s Tragedies

Life’s Tragedies

I know I would normally have a food or beer post tonight but there has been too much going on in the world that I feel like I need to spend a few minutes talking about the craziness around us. First off, the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices.

I would say I am speechless that such a tragic thing could happen, but that would be lying. I have quite a bit to say it is just a matter of making sure the point I want to make is made properly. Freedom of speech, not everyone is guaranteed this right. Some people pay for it with their lives.

Here is the most important thing I believe and want people to understand. I don’t always get into politics here, I don’t think it appropriate for what goes on in this space (that’s what Facebook is for). But I want it known that I believe strongly in your right to believe and speak what you feel you need. I don’t care if I agree with you or not. At least in the United States you can say anything from baffling bullshit to sage truth and it is within your rights to say it. I also state that I put my time in, I traded my freedom for a time for you to have that right.

When we see the lengths that a group will go to, to silence the voices of others it is a tragic event. I don’t care if you like the way they went about their message. It was a freedom few enjoy in this world. To be cut down, to die in such a tragic way for saying what you feel is wrong on so many levels.

I have a friend who years ago chose to work security for a KKK rally. It wasn’t because she wanted to support them. Their message goes against everything she believes in. She did it for one purpose and one purpose alone. She believes whole heartedly that they have the right to say what they want to say. Few people are willing to stand by such conviction anymore.

When we cut off the message of those we don’t support or believe in, we ourselves are diminished. Our words lose power.

Next Item

More tragedy (I feel like I should be singing Henry the 8th… second verse same as the first a little bit louder a little bit worse)

I live fairly close to I94 in Michigan. The section of the freeway near my house is one of the worst stretches for winter driving. Today we had tragedy again. Huge pile up of well over 100 cars. The red cross is called in for disaster relief. Again, how do you find the words for such a thing…

Within the wreckage we find a semi carrying hazardous materials, harsh acids. There is a call for evacuation within a 3 mile radius. Luckily my house was outside that radius (about 5 miles) but still that is one of those things that can make you leery.

For those of you who spend time here on a regular basis, you know that this isn’t too far fetched to be something fairly close to what I might throw into a story. Sometimes it can be pretty freaky when real life mirrors the fantasies you share with the world.

Mind you, as any one who lives with horrors does, I found some humor within the whole mess. Turns out one of the semis in the accident was hauling fireworks. Someone was kind enough to shoot a video of the display as the truck burned. Of course, that is another part of the tragedy. As the rescue workers cleared civilians from the wreckage, they could do little for the fires. Imagine having to watch helplessly as all this wreckage burned around you.

I think it would have looked awesome at night but it is still pretty powerful during the daytime. Fireworks Burning Link

These pictures come from various news sources around Michigan.

Because of the tragedy itself I won’t show too close to everything. No one needs to see that. But just from these you can get a sense of what was happening, practically a war zone. This isn’t something anyone expects to experience when they wake up in the morning.

As I sit here writing out this post, my daughter sent me this video. This one is a little intense so don’t watch it if you will be easily disturbed. (I didn’t see any blood or anything but it is a bit disturbing none the less). The pile up.

I have to step away here. Even for me, this is a bit beyond what I can comprehend right now.

Remember, it’s winter in the United States, be safe on the roads.

12 Responses to "LIfe’s Tragedies"

dvberkom says:

January 10, 2015 at 11:40 am

Both of those events were senselessly tragic–it seems every time you turn around there’s another tragedy. Someone I read online yesterday mentioned how people are becoming numb to the suffering in the world because everything’s so immediate now. We know about EVERYTHING within seconds of it happening. That’s a lot to take in. Fortunately, writing helps me process the events that affect me deeply, but there are so many folks who don’t have that outlet. Are we destined to become a nation/world of non-empathetic automatons? THAT would be tragic.
1. Jon says:
  
  January 10, 2015 at 1:19 pm
  
  We gave up regular television years ago. You would think that we wouldn’t have as much access to news of tragic events but the world has adapted. We are still inundated with this information online. It may not come from a local news source at every turn but it is still there taunting us. Reading and writing, storytelling have always been our greatest tools for coming to grips with the horrors around us. The process may change at times but the idea is as strong as ever.
A.K.Andrew @artyyah says:

January 10, 2015 at 2:49 pm

Thanks for this Jon. You know already I agree with you on this, unlike some of our political views and the beautiful thing about freedom of speech is that we can all disagree with each other. Life without that would be boring at best and hideously oppressive at worst. It’s awful that tragedy has to hit this point home to many. We , as Americans, can thankfully take it for granted, but we should hold it precious everyday.
The Michigan pile up is also tragic , and reminds us how our lives are so fragile and can disintegrate in the blink of an eye. One day at a time like it was our last.
1. Jon says:
  
  January 10, 2015 at 3:15 pm
  
  Too often we tend to forget the rights we have that are an oddity throughout recorded history and even today are unknown in some countries. We think that because we have these freedoms that everyone does. The times it hurts the most is when we fight to silence the voices we don’t agree with. And sadly, we have seen this a number of times in the US recently. The worst lie we tell ourselves is “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequences.” Free speech is free speech. To lash out because you don’t agree with what someone says is no better than the terrorists that murder in the name of their faith. When we fear to voice our words we are no longer free. Sorry I think I went into preacher mode here. But for all the things we can disagree on, it is good to find a common ground. It is from the common ground that understanding can be found.
jacquiegum says:

January 11, 2015 at 9:08 am

Jon, I think many of us feel the weight of these tragedies and so many others lately. I’ve found myself wondering what in the bee-jesus is going on in this world? We DO take freedom of speech for granted and we sometimes forget that many are still fighting and dying so that we can enjoy these freedoms. This sense act in Paris is such a sobering reminder of the price of freedom sometimes, and those that have paid that price for all us. I did see the coverage of that horrific accident on the news…so terribly sad.
1. Jon says:
  
  January 11, 2015 at 2:01 pm
  
  I think the accident is being written as one of the largest in history. The standard gripe in the winter in Michigan is how many people forget to drive in the snow. I think the bigger factor in this accident is the white out conditions. From the video I saw, there was very little visibility at all. Crazy some of the things we are faced with on a daily basis.
conniecockrell says:

January 11, 2015 at 10:44 am

So much death and destruction. I’m at the point of exhaustion. Raging against these things is pointless. Like you I’m baffled at the madness that one group of people can have against other people’s point of view or beliefs.
1. Jon says:
  
  January 11, 2015 at 2:02 pm
  
  We tend to think that we are so absolutely right in our beliefs. These convictions can lead down a dark road.
Susan Cooper/findingourwaynow.com says:

January 12, 2015 at 12:55 am

That is why sometimes I hate to even turn on the news in the morning, Jon. Sometimes all the tragedies in the world, and oftentimes right outside our door, are just too much. That storm you all had and the horrible accident looks just devastating. Going to watch the clip now.
1. Jon says:
  
  January 12, 2015 at 1:03 am
  
  It took them a couple days to get it all cleaned up. Crazy what can happen in winter in Michigan. Warm December and now winter is letting us know it is here.
Candy Korman says:

January 12, 2015 at 11:17 am

There’s a mind-numbing series of tragic events every year, month, week, day and we must somehow balance the outrage that rises quickly with some level of optimism and idealism. Defending free speech — even reprehensible speech — is part of that and so is never losing the shock and horror we feel when we see that kind of accident report. Our fiction (movies, TV, books, theater) push the edge of violence envelop, but let’s never forget that the “spectacular” crash scenes in movies are horrifying in real life. Boy, we live in interesting times…
1. Jon says:
  
  January 12, 2015 at 7:07 pm
  
  The spectacular is all a matter of perspective. As part of that crash a semi hauling 40,000 pounds of fireworks caught fire. Great fun on the 4th of July, during a crash a fear fueled spectacle.