Is anyone else shocked/surprised by the lack of reaction on MN to the Kashmiri earthquake?

[crumpet]

I was having a look to see people's reactions to the earthquake, given that what has happened has (a) come so soon after and (b) dwarfed the New Orleans disaster - but whereas that had at least 2 threads and over 250 posts, there have been only 10 posts on the earthquake since last Saturday.

Why is this? I was really shocked that it had triggered so little response. (Or have I missed a massive thread on this somewhere??)

I think I am just simply overwhelmed by all these disasters recently. What is there to say? It's certainly not a case of not caring.

I personally have been very moved by it and spent time to explain what is happening to dd1..but I hadn't noticed any threads either

Hmmm. Hadn't thought of it in terms of MN.
Obviously a terrible terrible event, and I sent ££ as soon as I saw them pulling children out...but actually, I think MN is going through a particular 'stage' atm - not of the same order at all, but I was amazed at no 'Bush hears voices' thread. I wonder if we are all shocked and rocked by the horros of the last 10 months...I don't know.

I was v impressed with Nick park (?) 'Wallace and Grommit' man - when interviewed about the fire that destroyed all his stuff, he wouldn't say it was a disaster or tragic or anyhting that the reporters were looking for - he said it was completely insignificant in the context of the suffereing in the world particularly at that moment. I am sure he specifically meant the quake because it was the same or next day.

Crumpet - I haven't seen anything about it! If you wanted a thread about it... you start one, like you have now.

I think, from a personal and perhaps selfish point of view I am drained with the horrendous things that have happened lately. I find myself getting emotionally drawn into the pain on the faces of parents who have lost children and I'm finding it hard to cope with. I have donated to the fund though, I just personally cannot bring myself to talk about it.

Crumpet
I think people are starting to suffer from compassion fatigue. I was devastated by Beslan, then the tsunami, then the London bombings, then the US hurricanes but I found myself feeling strangely numb about this. I think there is only so much emphathy we can mentally handle in these circumstances.
I felt really guilty about it. Then I saw a picture on yesterday's Guardian of a man holding the hand of his dead grandson and all the emotion really surged up again. Does anyone know what I mean?

To be honest I've been deliberately avoiding it as I can't let it in.
If I were to emotionally engage in the terrible events I'd be a complete wreck. As I have four kids to look after I see no reason to seek out the difficulties of others who I am unable to help. I'm concentrating on the people I am able to care for.

Perhaps it is because such a rich nation with advance warning let down their people so badly in New Orleans. Both terrible disasters but the USA could have done more for the people.

The general consensus seems to be that with all the disasters lately people just cannot cope with seeing/talking about it anymore.

I even slept in bed with ds the other night after seeing a Daddy carrying his dead little girl after the earthquake. Its too much.... what can we say.

I welled up spectacularly on the Tube on the way home yesterday reading Metro - seeing a grandfather holding his dead grandson's hand.

My reaction is one of overwhelming sadness, and awe at what nature can do to us. But I don't feel the need to talk on MN about it - not because I don't care, just because I don't feel it's a conversation, just expressions of sadness.

Yes, I wasn't trying to be controversial, I was just genuinely surprised that it had barely rated a mention - to the extent that I was half expecting responses along the lines of "you idiot, there are x, y and z threads on this - check before you post"...

I can completely understand that so much has happened in a relatively short period of time that it is hard to take on board, but the magnitude of this is so great. But then I suppose that may be the point. How can you really get to grips with the loss of 15,000 children with no warning (let alone their families) in one fell swoop?

I just can't comprehend numbers of people like that. I've tried, but I just can't do it.

a lot of the posts about New Orleans were pretty unpleasant. I wouldn't like to see the same type of posts again so perhaps its good that less has been said.

Personally I only have a certain amount of emotional energy - and cash - that I can give. So I do what I think is right but feel no need to justify it/ talk about it to anyone other than my partner and children.

Blu I agree with you about the Wallace and Grommit man, what a great attitude.

Agree with Hunker.

Also have been avoiding it a little, there has been so much heartache with one disaster after another. I find peoples opposing reactions to it difficult to take too so id rather just avoid for the time being. Have made a donation and will be sorting some baby clothes etc etc to hand in.

I think it's a terribly sad thing, but with all the disasters/bombings that have happened this year I wonder if we're becoming hardened to it, or just incredibly fatigued by all the compassion we need for this?

Not a flip comment by the way, just wonder if thats it?

sounds very self centured but atm i cannot be dealing with all these disaters. i avoid the news and the papers, as it will just be too much.

It is so incredibly tragic I can hardly take it all in. Especially with all the other disasters of the past 12 months or so. But I do care, I just haven't noticed it or talked about it on MN.

Donate here www.dec.org.uk/ and make it worth more (by letting them reclaim tax) using this www.allaboutgiving.org//static/charitycard_uk_aboutcharityaccount.aspx

and if anyone has clothes might be worth asking your local rotary if they need them for aquaboxes

www.rotaract.org.uk/index.php?cat=content&page=project_sheet&ProjID=12

I suspect they have masses, though.

I think Weatherwax is exactly right- the New Orleans thread were really about the response of the US government rather than the disaster itself, and it was worth dicussing the response(although the thread turned bad). I simply don't know what to say about this- it's just unbearable, and we give money, but that's it really. I read about it, feel for them, but can't think of a way to discuss it that would be remotely productive.

I thought exactly the same about Nick Park Blu- it was a really honourable response.

ditto on the Nick Park comment.

I think you have enough to contend with Misdee.

too tired to wax lyrical about it. Been in Kashmir, looked at my old photos and donated to UNICEF instead.

Im shocked alright.

by the earthquake I mean, not mn.

Talked about it in RL and not here. Amazing the casuality number differences between disasters in Pakistan, Guatemala and the U.S.

Given the scale of disaster to GB with the bombings and the discussion it created, it might be expected that people talk about the earthquake, when I think in reality people would not talk about it much. Terrorism does dominate over natural disasters in the long term and the U.S. captures so much more telly time than Pakistan.