February 8, 2007 6:50 AM

Perhaps it's time for a little more compassion and a little less dancing on the grave

I’ve had a lot of time to think about Lisa Marie Nowak over the last couple of days, and I’ve been struck by how incredibly cruel we can be to someone in pain. I say “we”, because I’ve taken part in it. I even gave Nowak a DUMB@$$ AWARD. In hindsight, and in looking at how things have played out, I realize that perhaps that was perhaps not the most compassionate thing I could have done- not that Nowak’s actions weren’t deserving. No one can, or should make light of the pain and suffering that drove her to do what she did.

There’s no way to condone or justify stalking and attacking another human being. Nonetheless, examining what stresses led Nowak to that point will no doubt demonstrate that even the most talented, capable, and brilliant among us have a breaking point. All of us, whether we care to admit it or not, have within us the possibility of reaching a place where we can no longer cope with life and it’s stresses. We all have our breaking point, though what might happen when, or if, we reach it is anyone’s guess.

Human nature being what it is, we LOVE to see people fall off their pedestal…and no one has farther to fall- literally and figuratively- than an astronaut. Lisa Marie Nowak is a brilliant, accomplished, beautiful woman in a very risky business historically dominated by men. She flew on the space shuttle last summer, she was a successful Naval officer, she has three children…and yet, things fall apart. We know that she and her husband of 19 years had recently separated, which normally could be taken as an indication that there were other cracks in the facade of Nowak’s life.

It’s far too easy to see the humor in Nowak’s action…and taken at face value, yes, I can see where the humor might come from. Nonetheless, Lisa Nowak is a living, breathing human with feelings. Who among wouldn’t hope for compassion and understanding if we were to be in a similar position? Can you imagine being hounded by the press? Having satellite trucks parked in your cul-de-sac? How about reporters doing stand-ups in your begonias, dissecting and analyzing the minutiae of your life because they have no real story but have to fill the airtime with something…anything?

None of us can possibly know what pain and anguish Nowak is suffering. Having every media outlet on the planet jockeying to chronicle her every breath, thought, and bowel movement is certainly not going to help matters. The reality is that Nowak’s life will very likely never be what it once was. She may well lose her career, her family, her reputation, and eventually even her freedom if she is convicted of attempted 1st-degree murder. Yet here we are, lapping up every detail that the media can dig up (From Houston’s KPRC last night: “Wait until we tell you who just pulled up at her front door!!”).

Yes, this sad, tragic tale has all the attributes that tabloids love : a love triangle, pepper spray, adult diapers, and a steel mallet. The late night comedians and morning radio shows are all over it, and before long we’ll probably see a Saturday Night Live skit. I can’t help but wonder, though, why so many of us seem to find so much humor in the pain and suffering of another human being? I’m certainly not proud of my small part in this circus, but many in the media seem to think that they have the perfect right to make light of Nowak’s suffering. The attitude seems to be “She’s a public figure, not a human being.”

I understand the reality that the media marketplace is a rough-and-tumble environment, but does a person’s pain and suffering really have to be the mother lode of humor? Of course, compassion doesn’t get laughs, and people don’t watch Leno or Letterman for the thoughtful reflection.

This story is tragic enough as it is. Wouldn’t it be nice to see the media- and by extension, all of us- display some compassion and understanding for a change? How about we just leave Lisa Nowak alone and allow her the space and time to try and get her life back together? Wouldn’t each of us want the same courtesy extended to us were we to be in this situation? I know I would.

Perhaps instead of celebrating and dissecting every aspect of Lisa Nowak’s breakdown, we should have the compassion to back off and let her heal. Or are we really enjoying her demise that much?

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on February 8, 2007 6:50 AM.

Compassionate Conservatism, my @$$ was the previous entry in this blog.

Everybody wants to rule the world...we actually do is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.12