When Insanity Eclipses Sympathy - On the Branson Duck Tragedy

 This weekend was a very difficult one in Branson, Missouri. A horrible tragedy on one of the Ride the Ducks boats. It capsized and 17 people were killed. It was a horrifying event that affected, obviously the victims, but also locals as well as people here in Branson on vacation. The event was reported in print and broadcast all over the news throughout America and several locations abroad.

New York Times Reports Branson Tragedy

Branson, Missouri is widely known as one of the few places where families can come for good entertainment and attractions designed for everyone to enjoy. The Ducks have been one of those attractions for many years.  It's a rough time for everyone involved and it seems to have stunned the community as well. This isn't something that Branson and its community is used to.

With that being said, I was so glad to see all of the people in the community who have stepped in on one occasion or another. I heard a story about employees at the nearby Branson Belle who jumped into the churning waters of Table Rock Lake to try and assist the folks in peril. I am thankful for those donating time and services to help those involved. The candles by the Ride the Ducks organization with all of the people involved in the vigil is truly a sign that there are people who care about people in the World. All of this is amazing to say the least.

I was also quite saddenened and frustrated by the way some news entities decided to take advantage of the situation to  push an agenda and stir up Social Justice Warriors over the incident. Instead of sticking to facts, they took opportunity to blow some facts out of proportion when families and the immediate community were still catching their breath from the horrifying event. There is a difference between bringing forth facts and simply being insesnitive to the people involved by spewing news that really isn't news just to get attention.

I was horrified to see that KY3 News decided to post a video taken from the cell phone of a person eating dinner on the Belle while taking video of the Duck in rough waters. Why would you do that to people that were in a situation suffering? Instead of sending this video to the authorities Jennier Carr decided to give this to the news so that they can broadcast it for the world to see! I also found the same video on Youtube. I don't think there could be anything more insensative than a person who uses something like this for anything other than to help the authorities figure out what occurred. All I can believe is that in some twisted way they thought they were helping the community. I would hate to think that they were just looking for attention. Either way, for KY3 to use it like this or for Ms. Carr to pass it on was insensative and selfish.

 KY3 Speaks of Duck boat accidents as if they were continually neglegent

I heard a radio announcer talking about the tragedy and I appreciated some of the things he had to say. People want to get involved in tragedy in life. Everybody wants to do something. He mentioned that sometimes the best thing we can do is step back and realize there are professionals that are trained to handle the situation. It's true, maybe the best thing we can do until there is a better option for us is... nothing.

Getting on the Internet and placing blame on a company you know nothing about regarding a subject you probably aren't a professional in is counter productive. I am pretty frustrated with Facebook and other Social Media vehicles in the way they make it so easy for toxic people to create drama that doesn't really pertain to them. Do I use the tools? Of course I do. Are there times I wish I didn't say something? Occasionally I have. However, I will also say I don't feel it is my duty to do anything in life but leave it better than when I was brought into it. The knee jerk reaction to so many involved with Social Media is they tend not to think before they speak - or type as the case may be. I just wish more people took the time to ask themselves before they write a post, or article, if they might do more harm than good with their words. Before you call it news perhaps we should ask if it's better for humanity just to leave something alone for awhile. Creating outrage happens too much these days, and it's not prone to spur critical thought. Most often quite the contrary. Maybe doing nothing is best. I know that isn't a very popular thing today; especially considering the first three letters in activist is "ACT"

This is strictly an opinion piece, and your opinion matters as well. Please feel free to leave a comment below because your thoughts may spur something I need to think about as well. Regardless, I wanted to wait a bit and think about what I was going to say before I tried to touch a very sensative subject right now.