Faith in Humanity

5 reasons why I just lost some faith in humanity

1. The Boston Blast

Yesterday, the 15th of April 2013, Boston hosted a marathon in honour of the drastic Newtown shooting. All went well until two bombs exploded in the crowded streets near the finish line of the marathon. It killed at least three people are injured more than 130 in a bloody scene of shattered glass and severed limbs.

The reason I chose this specific "terrorist attack" is because it's the most recent. But I never understood how some people could willingly kill others: moms, dads, children, siblings... It's horrible, taking away a life for no real reason...

2. Talking about bombs: Syria

I was on Twitter on this morning and reading the reactions to the bomb that went off in Boston, and most reactions were like "who cares when there's a war going on a Syria and Iraq? They have to go through this everyday". I do agree to a certain extent, Syria is going through a civil war with hundreds of deaths everyday. Since the conflict has started in July 2012, more than 17,000 lives have been claimed (according to the United Nations). And more than 170,00 people have fled the Middle East region to seek refuge in neighbouring countries.

The Syrian regime (led by President Bashar al-Assad) launched a violent crackdown last year on activists demanding more economic prosperity, political freedom and civil liberties. This sparked a nationwide uprising and a civil war with armed rebels.

3. Who the hell is Ted Mosby's wife?

This may seem out of place, but come on! I've been watching How I Met Your Mother faithfully for more than 8 seasons and I just want to know who is the mother! The show is getting boring, useless and not funny, and the only reason it's still going on is because we still do not know who the mother is. It seems that these kind of TV-Series just keep on going for no reason, clinging onto the only original idea they had. They just don't know when to quite.

4. TV shows these days

As I was writing this blog, I started watching MTV, and boy was I not being disappointed: 16 and pregnant, 17 and mom, Jersey Shore... It's horrible, 16 and pregnant? Why would you do a show about that? Plus glorify the fact that a teenager is having a kid at 16 and makes it look easy? The Bachelor and the Bachelorette are ok TV-reality show, not worth much, but distracting enough and you don't have to think too much. My Super Sweet 16... You are rich, you wasted a bunch of money on a 16th birthday party for a demanding teenage girl who causes "drama". Plus there's no alcohol... To add to this list: Bad Girls Club, Extreme Couponing, Toddlers and Tiaras, Next and Mob Wives and many more.

But there are a few tv shows worth watching: Survivor (for 2 episodes), Top Chef, Cake Boss, Monk, Law&Order, Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Modern Family, The Middle, Parenthood, The Mindy Project, My Name is Earl etc.

5. Violence and Parents

Back to some more serious stuff: violence. For those of you who have only seen violence in tv shows or movies, consider yourself incredibly lucky and stop sulking over your iPhone. Violence is everywhere: movies, video games, tv shows, on the news etc. Sadly, some people have seen it up close, like during the Newtown shooting for example. But I'm thinking more about the children victim of abuse from their parents or peers. It can vary from bullying (in school or at home), words (psychology aggression) or just plain old physical aggression. If you have kids, why would you hit them? I never understood parents who would harm their own kids. Or kids or bully physically other kids. I think I just never got violence in general... But one thing I have always promised myself: if I see someone victim of abuse, I am stepping in. 

And for info, I have kept my promise: I was on vacation in Vietnam (in Oi Han) when I stumbled a woman running away from her house and a man chasing her. A few seconds later he tackled her and started hitting her. I remember running to a policeman (I had spotted them earlier) and trying to talk to them in english. But they didn't understand. So I started miming and pointing, and they finally followed me. The man was arrested and the woman is now safe (they were husband and wife).

But also 5 reasons why I didn't completely lose my faith in humanity

1. People Help the People

I'm always touched by people who help others. The Boston Marathon is a good example; people running for the Newtown killing. I worked for MSF for a while and wrote a children's book to help fundraise money. I get emotional when I see shows like Extreme Makeover, Home Edition. Currently there are UNICEF helping out in Syria, or MSF in Haiti. I also read an story in Reader's Digest where a woman, after the hurricane Katherina, went out collecting all the pictures she found and returned them to their owners. It's nice to know that after a disaster, there are hundreds of people ready to help you out.

2. Make a wish

I tear up whenever someone makes an in-fortune's person wish come true. For example, a police officer made 13 year old Gage Hancock-Steven's dream come true when he let him be a cop for one day. Or when Christian Bale visited the Aurora Shooting victims that occurred at a screening of "The Dark Knight rises". Another example: after learning of nine-year-old Natalie McDonald's fight with Leukima, J.K. Rowling sent letters and read passages from the then incomplete fourth and final book to the young Harry Potter fan, almost a full year before it was set to release. When she learned of the young girl's passing, Rowling name a character in her honor, making her a first-year student at Hogwarts name by the Sorting Hat in Gryffindor- the house for the brave at heart.

3. Sacrifices

This is a true story about 200 Japanese senior citizens who volunteered to tackle the nuclear crisis at Fukushima power station so that young people wouldn't have to subject themselves to radiation. The Skilled Veterans Corps, as they called themselves, said that they should be facing the dangers of radiation, not the young.

4. A Helping Hand

17 year old Meghan Vogel was in last place in the 3,200-meter run when she caught up to competitor Arden McMath, whose body was giving out. Instead of running past her to avoid the last-place finish, Vogel put McMath's arm around her shoulders, carries her 30 meters, and then pushed her over the finish line before crossing it.

5. And finally, this sign at an awesome Subway restaurant