The People ­ Tuesday
Date: 01.10.2013
Page 13
Article size: 217 cm2
ColumnCM: 48.22
AVE: 60856.44
Society
Disasters will often define who we are
IT seems difficult to wish away the
shock ripples of September 2) West­
gate Shopping Malt attack, thai left
many trau matised, maimed, lost and
dead.
Rut what is most annoying and
despicable is the fact thai some im­
morally sick Kenyans took tile oppor­
tunity to loot fellow citizens' shops.
Seriously, I thought, "I low can any­
one do that?" But then as celebrated
American journalist and gossip col­
umnist Earl Wilson remarks; "Three
may get destroyed anyway. Whatever
inspired tliem, they took advantage
of their opportunity, however base!
Quite honestly, I don't know.
Cuban revolutionary and poet Jose
Marti sees it thus: "Men are divided
into two groups ­ those wlio love
and build and those who hale and
destroy." Even in this digital age, the
social media is replete with a diverse
menu of messages — both positive
(binders) and negative (rumour
mongers)— in tweets and blogs.
The ones who love to mmour will
kinds of people exist: the haves, the
have­nots, and the have­not­paid­for­ find fault with institutions and indi­
what­they­haves." Interesting.
viduals at every turn; they bad mouth
If a critical analysis was to be car­
the State and speak ill of just about
ried out on the compassion levels
anything and anyone they can. What
of those who turned out to help
inspires their decision? I am not sure.
victims of the disaster, there will be
a category diat helped by "helping
themselves" to wares and goodies of
The binders come behind those
who have found their social space but
in their own way speak life to those
The Westgate Shopping Mall ter­
ror attack has been high lighted and
righdy so, because of its significance
in position and effect. However,
Kenya continues to suffer the blow
of homelessness, accidents, hunger,
drug and alcohol abuse and other vic­
es. What do we do, for instance, when
we hear our neighbours fighting and
know it may result into something
sinister? Many times, nothing! We
wait ­ whatever eventuality!
American businesswoman and
founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics;
Mary Kay Ash said: 'There are three
types of people in diis world: those
who make things happen, those wh
watch things happen and those who
wonder what happened. Which one
are you?"
anne.m botela @ mediamax. co.ke
those in distress. For them, the disas­
who are hurting ­ who have buried
or are in the process of burying one or
something. The puzzling question is: more family members or friends lost
ter was a Godsend opportunity to get
What is it that informs an individual
in the senseless attack.
who profits at the misfortune of oth­
There are people who continue to
donate blood, others counsel affected
ers especially in the tragedy that was
Westgate Shopping Mall terror attack? the hundreds of victims caught up in
Is it necessarily an evil heart?
the terror madness— they, too, have
Desperation? A person who see op­
found their chance to love others. Is
portunity whatever the cost? Maybe;
it possible to bring out the best in a
qrsi imeone who frivolously feels, if I Kenyan, given the worst case scenario
don't help myself to these things, they
­ death? Certainly.
Ipsos Synovate Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya