These past ten days I spent with a friend I had made from London. He was here on business but we met up for the ocassional drink, dinner and going out. He mentioned how back home BCC really followed American news and that he was fascinated by them. The Newtown shooting, the Boston bombings and just recently the home invasion in Long Island that resulted in a twin being killed. While he kept going on about recent news that were making the front page of the BBC, I started feeling queasy. Jeez, I thought, no good news. All bad. This is what he sees when he thinks of America. He was baffled as to how the actual citizens were opposed to background checks for guns and how easily lobbyist persuaded public opinion. "In England, I don't have ONE friend that owns a gun. And if I were to call 30 of my friends to ask them how to aquire one, no one would even know were to start." Also, he pointed out how many homeless people lived in New York. In London apparently, you hardly see them. One of them the other day waived a knife to him and his friend in the subway. But in all of this, he still wanted to move here. He considered himself lucky in the sense that he could enjoy all of the things that made America so great without really being affected by it. Somewhat I envied him a little because I knew it was true.
Then, just yesterday I heard about the monstrous tornado that demolished Oklahoma City. My stomach churned seeing the video clips online and reading about the devastation. How petrified must those people have felt running from perhaps the biggest natural phenomenon they had ever seen and will ever see. Most not being able to gather their loved ones. However, in all of the debris and chaos there are so many inspiring stories of people furiously helping others in need. The teachers that saved so many children. THOSE are the people that in all the tragedies we hear of should be acknowledged and recognized first and foremost.
Amid all the bad news, I feel blessed. Do you?
Dream Hotel
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