The year was 1937 when Herbert Morrison was dispatched to cover the arrival of the Hindenburg in Manchester Township, New Jersey.
While marveling at the colossal air ship above, he was on the scene to witness the fireball that ensued and downed the luxurious aircraft. In an unforgettable voice filled with despair he declared “Oh, the humanity,” as he reported on what happened before his eyes.
His was a genuine commentary and a turn of phrase we think of often when unspeakable tragedies strike.
A submitted letter this week just about sums up the feelings most readers have. We live in a world that makes little sense and as he asks in his letter – “why do we hate so much?”
Why, should be a question top of mind for everyone in the week ahead.
Take for example the recent attack in London, Ontario, where a young man mowed down a Muslim family, killing four and leaving one child survivor. Police quickly labelled that a terrorist act. Again, a loner stripped this world of a family just out for an evening walk.
A week previous, Canadians were shocked to learn of a mass grave site identified in Kamloops, BC at a former residential school. That horrible news resulted in tributes popping up across the country to commemorate those young lives lost.
“Why do we hate so much?” is a question seemingly without an end. Senseless deaths, hateful actions, acrimony, divisiveness – what of humanity and its choices?
The answer lies in what each of us can do to improve the lives of others and stamp out oppression in whatever form it takes. Start thinking about people. Get out there. See things through a lens of wonderment as opposed to a prism of skepticism.
Educate and teach others with compassion and empathy as opposed to using force and guilt. Treat others with respect.
In the fullness of time, humanity will prevail.
