Why are children so much more important than adults?
Discussion
Singlecoil, I will hazard a guess you are not a parent and I don't mean that to sound belittling. As someone else stated, as humans we are hardwired to protect and nurture the young. Most families would eventually recover emotionally from the loss of a parent or sibling, very few parents recover from the loss of a child.
pp
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singlecoil said:
It's not whether or not it should be reported that I am querying, it's the "22 children killed" headline, as if the adults don't count.
Can't see you can infer from the headlines that the adults don't count, it's just a fact that the majority of people find the deaths of children more shocking, for reasons adequately explained elsewhere in this thread. Can't understand why this would baffle you to the degree that it does, the deaths of children take precedence (in news terms) over adults all the time, whether it's Palestine, Homs, Rwanda or any other situation you care to think of, just as it should.phil1979 said:
singlecoil said:
It's not whether or not it should be reported that I am querying, it's the "22 children killed" headline, as if the adults don't count.
What do you expect, though? Perhaps:"Bus and tunnel damaged. And some people killed, of varying ages".
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Many children die in Swiss crash
At least 28 people - including 22 children - die when a Belgian coach crashes in a road tunnel in Switzerland, police say.
Many children die in Swiss crash
At least 28 people - including 22 children - die when a Belgian coach crashes in a road tunnel in Switzerland, police say.
singlecoil said:
phil1979 said:
singlecoil said:
It's not whether or not it should be reported that I am querying, it's the "22 children killed" headline, as if the adults don't count.
What do you expect, though? Perhaps:"Bus and tunnel damaged. And some people killed, of varying ages".
P.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
It's a headline, 22 children is more shocking than 28 people or 6 adults. They want to grab your attention.
I never quite understood this either until I had kids. I know that's a cliché but it's true. The story recently of the journalist killed in Homs actually lead with her death, but it also featured a 2-3yo who was injured/killed at the same time. I got a lump in my throat over the kiddy (same age as my boy) but my reaction to the reported was indifferent. A tragic loss for sure but she put herself in that situation and knew the risks. The kid was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I never quite understood this either until I had kids. I know that's a cliché but it's true. The story recently of the journalist killed in Homs actually lead with her death, but it also featured a 2-3yo who was injured/killed at the same time. I got a lump in my throat over the kiddy (same age as my boy) but my reaction to the reported was indifferent. A tragic loss for sure but she put herself in that situation and knew the risks. The kid was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
phil1979 said:
This will sound harsh, but it's just not as tragic. People find it easier to reconcile adults being killed in their minds. Children, though - different story.
P.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
PricelessP.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
Blue62 said:
phil1979 said:
This will sound harsh, but it's just not as tragic. People find it easier to reconcile adults being killed in their minds. Children, though - different story.
P.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
PricelessP.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
singlecoil said:
It's not whether or not it should be reported that I am querying, it's the "22 children killed" headline, as if the adults don't count.
easy to just say you ain't got kids, you don't understand.Perhaps if you put child in front of each of these words and see if your perception or feeling of the terms differ.
Soldier
Pornography
Killer
Rape
Star
Blue62 said:
phil1979 said:
This will sound harsh, but it's just not as tragic. People find it easier to reconcile adults being killed in their minds. Children, though - different story.
P.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
PricelessP.S. just seen your kitchens... I'm based just down the road from you, and in the not-so-distant future will be looking in to replacement units etc. Will have to give you a shout when the time comes.
I didn't get it until I had a rugrat of my own, now all my worry is saved for the little one because I can see her potential, see she needs protecting and I already have a lot of time invested to make sure she grows up and stays in the gene pool and contributes to the world.
The adults are just as important but children are not able to assess risk, nor could they extract themselves from this situation by personal choice, they were not driving, were not getting paid nor were they in charge of themselves, they were under the control and protection of the adults present in the coach, adults who were paid to be preventing harm to the kids while taking them too and from an activity designed to provide fun and life education.
The adults are just as important but children are not able to assess risk, nor could they extract themselves from this situation by personal choice, they were not driving, were not getting paid nor were they in charge of themselves, they were under the control and protection of the adults present in the coach, adults who were paid to be preventing harm to the kids while taking them too and from an activity designed to provide fun and life education.
It's always been that way. It's an emotional response that arises from the evolutionary process. The young have yet to breed (apart from in Bolton) so in evolutionary terms they are more important than adults, who have made their contribution.
My favourite media story was back when Jill Dando was murdered and they interviewed some chubby mother who happened to be a neighbour, asking her what she thought about the whole affair. "It's terrible," she said, "children play in this street." Jesus Christ.
My favourite media story was back when Jill Dando was murdered and they interviewed some chubby mother who happened to be a neighbour, asking her what she thought about the whole affair. "It's terrible," she said, "children play in this street." Jesus Christ.
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