When I heard the horrific news about Paris Friday night, I was on my way to a friend’s house. I got in the car to go, but I couldn’t help but to just sit for a second and cry. I cried because obviously I felt horrible for all of the victims and their families. I was trying to make sense of it all but then I thought of a quote from The Bluest Eye, “There is really nothing more to say-except why. But since why is difficult to handle, one must take refuge in how.” These actions are so disgustingly unfathomable, that the question of “why” is unanswerable. Trying to answer this question can put yourself in such an evil mindset. This quote made me realize that asking the question “why” sometimes is bad for your own mental state.
On the other hand, part of my emotions was due to frustration. Here I am, a 16 year old, middle class, white girl. I have faced no major adversities in my life. No major financial troubles. No discrimination. No abusive stereotypes. I used to think that I will never be able to understand what it would be like to be discriminated against or a victim of terror. But, these attacks sheds light on the cold truth that nobody is safe in today's world. These victims were picked at random.
Reading this book and having these terrible acts of terrorism happen nearly simultaneously, I feel a sense of helplessness. Helplessness due to the fact that different religions and races have been discriminated against for hundreds of years, and this issue is still going on today. Not only this, but also the fact that these horrific acts are a result of society’s own -in Morrison’s own words- “social construct.” That is the most frustrating part, all of these deaths are due to a mere social construction that we, as humans, all have the ability to control.
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