Bloomberg's Conundrum
In times of tragedy, should we subsume every resource into dealing with the tragedy or should we also host one-off events that sustain the spirit by showing the way forward out of the mess? I come down on the side of the latter. Dealing with tragedies is not just helping with the immediate aftermath help but also providing a vision of better times to come. Heroism, bravery, indomitable spirit-all these help buck people's flagging spirits up.
The decision to go ahead with the NYC Marathon scheduled for this Sunday is precisely this kind of headache for Mayor Bloomberg.
Critics on both sides of the argument are increasingly vocal as the day draws near. Here are examples of opposing views:
From Mairi in Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 2, 2012 at 9:29 a.m.:
"Some of the comments on here are a great reminder of how selfish people can be... 'I have trained so hard....', 'I have traveled so far....' 'Hve been waiting for this event for so long....' Guess what? The world does not revolve around you individually, or even a collective 40,000 of you. The thought of how much the suffering storm victims could benefit from a more thoughtful deployment of the resources and efforts is heartbreaking. (water, blankets, energy bars, toilets, generators, open streets and bridges, and the time and energy of police, ambulance workers, cleaners, volunteers etc). When we had our devastating floods in Brisbane early last year, tens of thousands of people jumped in to volunteer their time, cleaning up streets, homes, waterfronts, parks, sporting clubs. We called ourselves the "Mud Army" and it was an inspiration. I can tell you, if our Mayor had proposed to continue with a selfish sporting event so soon after the death and devastation, he would have been run out of town."
From Sunny20 in Denver, CO on Nov. 2, 2012 at 9:28 a.m.:
"I have often thought that if World War Two were started today, America would lose. I observe a nation of soft people, quick to embrace the easy, reluctant to endure hard times and then press on. The easy way out is to quit, to postpone, to "show respect" through inaction and surrender. Most of the hundreds of Comments here decry the resilience of the Mayor, the NYRR, and the runners who must show up to perform a difficult task under impossible circumstances. Those who are going forward, despite their demonization, are the strong, the ones who would endure casualties, and the ones who would set an example that could go on to victory. Those who oppose them would surrender, and allow tragedy to deter them from going forward. If you oppose the Marathon's being run, that is your right; but your outrage is a sure sign of a weak sentimentality that defeats our national character, and substitutes sentiment for reality. America survived because Americans could, and did, do it all. The Marathon running or not, the few hours taken, will not change the loss, the devestation, the tragedy. The spirit of "can do," however, will help us to endure these things and triumph in the end."
The decision to go ahead with the NYC Marathon scheduled for this Sunday is precisely this kind of headache for Mayor Bloomberg.
Critics on both sides of the argument are increasingly vocal as the day draws near. Here are examples of opposing views:
From Mairi in Brisbane, Australia on Nov. 2, 2012 at 9:29 a.m.:
"Some of the comments on here are a great reminder of how selfish people can be... 'I have trained so hard....', 'I have traveled so far....' 'Hve been waiting for this event for so long....' Guess what? The world does not revolve around you individually, or even a collective 40,000 of you. The thought of how much the suffering storm victims could benefit from a more thoughtful deployment of the resources and efforts is heartbreaking. (water, blankets, energy bars, toilets, generators, open streets and bridges, and the time and energy of police, ambulance workers, cleaners, volunteers etc). When we had our devastating floods in Brisbane early last year, tens of thousands of people jumped in to volunteer their time, cleaning up streets, homes, waterfronts, parks, sporting clubs. We called ourselves the "Mud Army" and it was an inspiration. I can tell you, if our Mayor had proposed to continue with a selfish sporting event so soon after the death and devastation, he would have been run out of town."
From Sunny20 in Denver, CO on Nov. 2, 2012 at 9:28 a.m.:
"I have often thought that if World War Two were started today, America would lose. I observe a nation of soft people, quick to embrace the easy, reluctant to endure hard times and then press on. The easy way out is to quit, to postpone, to "show respect" through inaction and surrender. Most of the hundreds of Comments here decry the resilience of the Mayor, the NYRR, and the runners who must show up to perform a difficult task under impossible circumstances. Those who are going forward, despite their demonization, are the strong, the ones who would endure casualties, and the ones who would set an example that could go on to victory. Those who oppose them would surrender, and allow tragedy to deter them from going forward. If you oppose the Marathon's being run, that is your right; but your outrage is a sure sign of a weak sentimentality that defeats our national character, and substitutes sentiment for reality. America survived because Americans could, and did, do it all. The Marathon running or not, the few hours taken, will not change the loss, the devestation, the tragedy. The spirit of "can do," however, will help us to endure these things and triumph in the end."