Humanity

I've been thinking a lot lately about humanity. Not the people sense of the word, but what makes us humane. I wrote an article last week that touched on some of these ideas.

This semester has been hard. I don't think I have ever felt so drained in every way in my life. And I can't really point to one thing. It's just been overall draining. This is part of why I've been largely absent on my blog. I don't like writing things that bring people down. I like to lift others up with my writing.

In my grad program (mass communications) we talk A LOT about the effects of the media and violence in the media seems to inevitably come up. It's been a hot topic lately with all of the school shootings and the correlation they have with violent video games. More research needs to be done to show anything stronger than a correlation, but that is somewhat beside the point.

I also work in the newsroom on campus and the news is on constantly. I was in Seattle the day that Sandy Hook happened and I largely missed the news coverage of it. I saw all of the politicians talking about gun control for the months following though. So that combined with my studies in violence in the media has brought it to the forefront of my mind. And it has made me think somewhat negatively about the media and its effects.

These effects may be true, but it is my belief that we are stronger than any effect of the media. There is something inherently good in humanity. We want to help. We want to be good. We want to be better.

I was in the newsroom yesterday when the attacks at the Boston Marathon happened. I don't know if it's because I have a dear friend who was at the site just minutes before the attack or if it's because I've been studying so much about violence or because I was in the newsroom watching coverage for hours, but it has been sitting heavy in my heart. It seems that things just keep getting worse. But that is only when I focus on the attack.

I found an article just now that hit me at my center. People amaze me at the depth of their willingness to give. We aren't perfect. Sometimes we do ugly things. But on the whole we all try to be good and kind. We come together in tragedy rather than isolate ourselves. That means something to me.

So I may not be in Boston and I may not be a Bostonian, but my heart is in Boston right now, wishing there were something more I could do. And I know I'm not alone in this feeling.