Responding to Catastrophe

Do you remember when the shooting happened near the Empire State Building last summer?  It was just after I'd left the city.  I lived near where the shooting occurred while studying.  As fellow students and I discussed the tragedy, we shared our opinions regarding a particular photo of the victim lying in his blood.

I took the position that when so many tragedies are splashed across the news, a photo that makes one pause and have a human reaction is a good thing.

While following the Oklahoma tornado disaster, I've experienced similar emotions.  I consciously have to make myself think about the people in the photo and make it personal.  Otherwise, I have a hard time feeling and realizing that it is real-life, not just a mess of rubble and trees.

The two photos below helped me feel sorrow and pain for the victims.  It made the catastrophe real.
The first shows adults and children suffering together.  It shows humans caring.
In the second photo, the girl being helped has a look on her face that grabbed me.  She looks numb with shock, unable to comprehend what just happened.

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