Note: This story contains graphic imagery.
Normally I have words. I have written millions of words in my lifetime. But how do you write about 25 children being killed in a suspected chemical attack?
Does it matter where they are from?
They died frothing at the mouth. Foam filling their nose. Unable to breathe. The children and babies killed reportedly died gasping, having seizures. Their tiny, already too skinny, limbs suddenly still.
The pictures are yet to be verified, but they show bodies wrapped in blankets and lying on the dirt. Some are heaped on the back of trucks. The smallest bodies wearing nappies.
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Top Comments
I agree with every sentiment of this article. This is awful beyond words and we must somehow unite to share our outrage and to relentlessly put pressure on our leaders to aid the people affected, increase our intake of humanitarian refugees and find a solution to the war in Syria.
I find it problematic however, when you ask, "What’s it going to take? 300 babies in nappies, foaming at the mouth, convulsing until they die? 600?" and then say, "Maybe it will take the death of two young blonde female foreign aid workers frothing at the mouth? Maybe then we will listen, be outraged, demand something to be done."
Yes, enough is enough and we should already be beyond outraged, but why bring in aid workers, particularly "blonde, female" ones? It's awful and unjustified for us to only care when we see people "like us" being directly impacted, but in today's world, humanitarian aid workers are considered to be at risk more than ever before. We read, more and more, of deaths, rapes and kidnapping of those who have entered a conflict zone only to provide assistance to those most in need. You only need to follow some of the Facebook groups and twitter feeds that relate to this to see the growing concerns about this. I think these lines were an unfortunate addition to the piece.
It is well documented that the media (and society in the west generally) show much greater sympathy when bad things happen to attractive white females.
The first rule of war is to de humanise the enemy.That way we dont feel empathy.Our press has been doing a great job with articles about nasty refugees coming over here who are going to slaughter us.Shock jocks ranting about the same thing,and to our eternal shame we are buying it and selling out our humanity.Me,Im appalled and saddened and the fact that our meddling over there has contributed to this absolute tragedy makes me even sadder.poor little ones didnt ask for this.
Show me one Australian media outlet that is de-humanising this type of atrocity. Quite the opposite actually - just look at any media outlet / tv / print / online. Shame to even suggest it. Do not be confusing people that took issue with the illegal people smuggling organised criminals (resulting in thousands of deaths at sea) vs this type of thing. Sheesh.
We de humanise those refugees from the middle east therefore we tend not to have toomuch sympathy when an atrocity occurs in the country of their origin