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From: tomp@amiga.UUCP (Tom Pohorsky)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: Perspective
Message-ID: <712@amiga.amiga.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Feb-86 20:57:40 EST
Article-I.D.: amiga.712
Posted: Wed Feb 19 20:57:40 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Feb-86 05:41:24 EST
References: <1814@trwrba.UUCP> <11862@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: tomp@stella.UUCP (Tom Pohorsky)
Organization: Commodore-Amiga Inc., 983 University Ave #D, Los Gatos CA 95030
Lines: 28

In article <11862@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> weemba@brahms.UUCP (Matthew P. Wiener) writes:
>In article <1814@trwrba.UUCP> suhre@trwrba.UUCP (Maurice E. Suhre) writes:
>>I've been watching the shuttle jokes/debates going past and I think there
>>is a certain lack of perspective.  Just ask yourself the following
>>questions (and estimate the answers).
>>	1.  How many people die every day on the freeways/hiways
>>	2.  How many teenagers die of drug overdose every day?
>>	3.  How many women die as a result of illegal abortions?
>>	4.  How many people die in Shuttle accidents every day?
>
>I think Maurice here has a lack of perspective.  I know of no one who has
>died of deaths type 1,2,3 in the past month.  I know of 7 people who died
>in a Shuttle accident.

I think Matthew betrays an all-too-popular lack of perspective here. He says
he knows of no one has has died recently in a traffic accident, yet is of
course familiar with the story of the shuttle victims. Why would that be ?
Exposure to the news of these events. The media manipulates our awareness
of world events in ways that "make good copy" and boost their ratings.
Generally, these lack perspective and morality. Maurice's comment are es-
pecially relevant in this case. The shuttle tragedy is seven people dying
in an experimental accident. All the flagwaving and press releases try to 
make it into something else, to tug at our heartstrings and attention.
  Is any good accomplished by this unfortunate, insincere media spectacle ?
I don't think so; rather it dulls one to the "everyday, humdrum" tragedies 
that occur more regularly. Lock the doors and turn on the news program.

  "An emotional show, or a show of emotions?" Gerald Nachmann.