Americans seem very moved and horrified by a fallen bridge and a few deaths...why?

Question

when everyday we get news of much more horrific things going on in the world, that those so moved by a fallen bridge shrug at and say "c'est la vie" (thats life).

Answer 1

Josef Stalin put it best: "One death is a tragedy; a million deaths is just a statistic." The American corollary to this is "if it didn't happen in the United States or it didn't happen to Americans, it doesn't matter"

Answer 2

Have you had your power go off repeatedly in extreme temperatures? Did you watch when New Orleans was under water because of their old failed levies? Did you hear that 70,000 bridges in the U.S. are in worse shape than the one that collapsed. It needs to be addressed.

I think our infrastructure is pretty important. Its not just an inconvenience. It costs lives when they fall apart. Over 1000 in New Orleans alone. People who depend on electricity for life saving aparatus are at risk. Where I work, when the power goes out, it can, and has cost us several thousand $ because it interrupted a very expensive process. It ruins computers and telephone systems. I live in a state where all of the bridges on the interstate in my area have been replaced but this isn't happening all across the country. It should be.

Answer 3

Since when has feeling sympathy and compassion for others been a bad thing? Americans feel badly because most of us are able to empathize with the pain that those families must be feeling and the horror that it can happen so quickly. Americans also feel this way when horrible things happen in other countries. Many people donate their time and money to help relieve the suffering of others.

Answer 4

Your attitude might be different if you were on it, or under it.
The fact is there are thousands of sub standard bridges thoughout the US. We all just assume that they are safe.
You have probably driven across many. Maybe this will be a wake up call for local,state,and federal officials to make these roads safer.

Answer 5

It's pretty simple: because it could happen to us.

Most of us drive over bridges regularly, and most people never thought of those bridges as being prone to collapsing. It's an uncomfortable awakening to realize that bridges aren't actually infallible, and that driving really is very risky.

Answer 6

Because it's something that should be safe. And you say that things more horrible are happening? Tell me what they are. What do you think is worse than people dying? And you act like you don't care if a few people die. What if it was one of your relatives? Think of how many people were hurt over what happened.

Answer 7

Most of us Americans feel loss personally for strangers, that's who we are...I don't know if you're from another country, maybe France, but we stick together over here, we may not share the same political belief systems but when one of us is hurt or killed, most of us feel bad about their loss...that's what makes this country so great...

Answer 8

i'm in the uk and i feel for them more than i did 911 not sure why i think it's always one of those things everyone thinks can possibly happen so people are scared of bridges and now it's been confirmed that they are not safe.

Answer 9

Where are you from...Spain? It is our tragedy not the rest of the worlds!!!!! And should tragedies be measured by how many die??? I think if you ask the families of the victim they will enlighten your little a--!

Answer 10

Because it could have been prevented by spending American tax dollars on American roads and bridges rather than the 10 million per hour we are spending on Iraqi reconstruction.