Image by: Susan Cook
Emotionally Shallow Waters: Drowning In Two Inches of Water
From: Susan Cook
Series: The River Is Wide
Length: 02:31
Emotionally Shallow Waters: Drowning in Two Inches of Water
-Susan Cook-
We wade into emotionally shallow waters when we look at the media's recent coverage of the "important consequences" of the Penn State revelation that sexual assaults of children by their sports administrators were visually observed. And nothing done to prevent future incidents by the perpetrator (or any others) or treat the damage to the children.
Let's start with David Brooks' New York Times commentary "Let's Feel Superior", calling us out on our tendency for self-importance . He glibly cites study-after-study of urban residents ignoring those who need help. Because they're afraid the guy will turn on them? Because they thought someone was making a movie? Who knows. Self-importance has many justifications.
It could be you or me, Mr. Brooks says. So, let's take a hard look at the Self-Importance now floating to the top- ours- as we judge the many authorities at Penn State who by the way didn't need weapons to protect themselves- just human decency and a telephone to recognize atrocity when it hit them in the eye. Atrocity , according to Mr. Brooks, depends on which rung of the moral hierarchical ladder you happen to be standing on when it happens: the higher the rung, the more self-importance that goes with it, hence the downward glance now on those who did not report these incidents. Sounds like the same justification the Big Men at Penn State might use to explain their own failure to report these atrocities.
Mine is still here. It is the emotional shallowness of the water in which Penn State administrators stand that keeps them and all those who just keep on playing football oblivious to the ravages and psychological damage of sexual abuse. Atrocity is always in the eye of the beholder and it is my eye- or yours or yours or yours - no matter how low or high your rung on the moral ladder- and that’s what keeps us and will always help us see how children can drown in just two inches of water.
Also in the The River Is Wide series
Sonnet For The Baseball Teams Playing "Sweet Caroline"
(:54)
From: Susan Cook
This is a sonnet for the baseball teams who after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon each played the song the Boston Red Sox play during a game when they score a home run.
Where D'ya Get That Hatred?
(06:13)
From: Susan Cook
Great affirmation of human purpose is the victory for those who watch the runners and wheelchairs racers come in at the Boston Marathon. They are all in it together because ...
Civil Liberties for Sexists: The Purity Ball and Prostitution Laws
(03:45)
From: Susan Cook
Recently, a man convicted of aiding the prostitution of a young woman who was exploited by over 150 men, was given a 3 week sentence. This sentence from a female judge, on ...
Ode to Mr. Roubini's West Grand Lake Bass
(02:28)
From: Susan Cook
In Maine, an old controversy will be discussed in the legislature soon about introducing alewives to the St. Croix River and the possible decline of the bass fishery in the ...
Corrupting the Message: Remembering the Iraq War
(03:48)
From: Susan Cook
Corrupting the Message: Remembering the Iraq War Ten years ago this week, the Iraq War began. Like every other atrocity in history, or let's limit it to the twentieth ...
The Maine Sniff Test
(01:36)
From: Susan Cook
Let us pause and pine for those deeply scented pine-tree shaped air fresheners that hung from the rear view mirror, just small enough to avoid obstruction of the view but ...
Reading Water, Seeing Fish: The Alewive Controversy
(04:40)
From: Susan Cook
The strident opponents of a rapid, unregulated re-introduction of alewives to the St. Croix believe that at one important juncture in the river, the topography has been ...
A Citizen's Guide To Being Sane In Insane Places
(06:18)
From: Susan Cook
The lessons of D.L. Rosenhan's 40 year old study of psychiatric patients "plagerised" psychiatric diagnosis to see if they would be detected as frauds on psychiatric units ...
Welcome to "Me Radio": A Citizen's Guide to Why We Need A Solid Political Party Structure
(01:37)
From: Susan Cook
A solid political party structure broadens the focus of campaigns from the "me' to the "we", the electorate. Me Radio is an example of how that might not happen.
Managed Car: An Additional 210 Seconds On How to Triple Car Insurance Premiums
(03:34)
From: Susan Cook
"Whoa, the car won't start," our gentle car owner says to himself as he turns the key in the ignition only to hear a soft whimper, whimper, whimper instead of the robust roar ...
Related Pieces
Piece Description
Emotionally Shallow Waters: Drowning in Two Inches of Water
-Susan Cook-
We wade into emotionally shallow waters when we look at the media's recent coverage of the "important consequences" of the Penn State revelation that sexual assaults of children by their sports administrators were visually observed. And nothing done to prevent future incidents by the perpetrator (or any others) or treat the damage to the children.
Let's start with David Brooks' New York Times commentary "Let's Feel Superior", calling us out on our tendency for self-importance . He glibly cites study-after-study of urban residents ignoring those who need help. Because they're afraid the guy will turn on them? Because they thought someone was making a movie? Who knows. Self-importance has many justifications.
It could be you or me, Mr. Brooks says. So, let's take a hard look at the Self-Importance now floating to the top- ours- as we judge the many authorities at Penn State who by the way didn't need weapons to protect themselves- just human decency and a telephone to recognize atrocity when it hit them in the eye. Atrocity , according to Mr. Brooks, depends on which rung of the moral hierarchical ladder you happen to be standing on when it happens: the higher the rung, the more self-importance that goes with it, hence the downward glance now on those who did not report these incidents. Sounds like the same justification the Big Men at Penn State might use to explain their own failure to report these atrocities.
Mine is still here. It is the emotional shallowness of the water in which Penn State administrators stand that keeps them and all those who just keep on playing football oblivious to the ravages and psychological damage of sexual abuse. Atrocity is always in the eye of the beholder and it is my eye- or yours or yours or yours - no matter how low or high your rung on the moral ladder- and that’s what keeps us and will always help us see how children can drown in just two inches of water.
Transcript
Emotionally Shallow Waters:
Drowning in Two Inches of Water
-Susan Cook-
We wade into emotionally shallow waters when we look at the media's recent coverage of the "important consequences" of the Penn State revelation that sexual assaults of children by their sports administrators were visually observed. And nothing done to prevent future incidents by the perpetrator (or any others) or treat the damage to the children.
Let's start with David Brooks' New York Times commentary "Let's Feel Superior", calling us out on our tendency for self-importance . He glibly cites study-after-study of urban residents ignoring those who need help. Because they're afraid the guy will turn on them? Because they thought someone was making a movie? Who knows. Self-importance has many justifications.
It could be you or me, Mr. Broo...
Read the full transcript
Advertisement
