BY AYESHA BİLAL (PSYC/III)
ayesha@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
Dear Bilkenters, in the wake of the recent tragedy that struck our very own unsuspecting city in the form of a terrible act of terrorism, causing the loss of more than a hundred lives and deeply affecting even more, hearts everywhere were filled with sorrow. No matter what political views and general opinions one has, the completely unnecessary and random loss of life that leaves behind families in mourning and plans for an entire life cut short breaks one’s heart and fills one with understandable rage and frustration at not only the perpetrators of the act but, I assume, also at the world in general for deteriorating to a state of constant bloodshed and terror. And when it hits so close to home, the feelings and emotions are resounding and overwhelming. Any one among the innocent people affected, who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, could just as easily have been you yourself, or somebody you know, and the scene of the crime is just another area in your very own city that you might be used to seeing, without giving it any particular significance. But now, you can never look at it in the same carefree way or find it meaningless again; the filter has changed, and it’s now one more place that the bad guys got their hands on.
As I indicated above, emotions come to a boil when a calamity takes place so close to you. This leads me to the intended point of this piece, which is not to depress you further, but rather to bring to light the various ways in which we cope and release our emotions. While most of us can process our emotions fairly well, many people take to social media, which have become this generation’s avenue of expression, and vent an array of emotions that they themselves are most likely confused about. Most people express their grief and devastation, many put forward optimism in such bleak times—and then there is always that handful of people who capitalize on tragedies like this to ignite an angry fervor by voicing their resentment of the government, of political parties, of terrorist organizations, and of the country concerned in general. I’m sure at least one person comes to everyone’s mind when I say that, making you think, “Oh yes, I know what you’re talking about,” and I’m hoping for at least a few people reading this, it dawns upon them that they are those people. You know, the ones who show up on your Facebook or Twitter feed only when tragedy strikes or some political or ethical controversy gets stirred up, and they feel a very self-important need to inform everyone about their opinion on the matter—hoping, I suppose, for a Nobel-worthy amount of approval and encouragement from peers who all wait eagerly to hear others’ thoughts in times of mental confusion and anxiety. I’m aware that the sarcasm that accompanies the last statement is considerable, but I feel like there is no other way to convey the annoyance I’m sure we all feel seeing those posts and messages every time misfortune strikes, and profile pictures are changed and political debates heat up in the form of status updates. Is it all really necessary? Is it even genuine anymore to express undying sadness and put up a façade of being melancholy and then forget all about it when the next tragedy occurs? Catastrophes are endless, timeless and universal. And among humans, the internal sorrow that results from such events is understood; it does not need to be stated.
All that being said, I am also not condemning the freedom we all have as individuals to express ourselves in whatever way we wish. In writing this, I express my own opinion. However, there is a certain tact that can be employed when expressing ourselves, and in times of rising tension it is not the most tactful thing to stir up more debate and apprehension. There is no benefit that can avail from it, nor any change to be made by tweeting 140 characters that will be read with annoyance by your peers, who will most likely react only by rolling their eyes and scrolling further. On the other hand, there is a lot that can be done that will, in fact, benefit so many people in so many ways. The families of those affected would be ever grateful for any help they might receive in coping and moving on, and many charities are in need of volunteers, especially those that might be financially and physically capable of helping. Going outside the context of the recent situation in Ankara, calamities take place in many forms all around us. The refugee crisis, for an example, is not an issue foreign to Turkey, as Turkey connects the eastern world to the west, where desperate refugees from war-stricken countries attempt to go for sanctuary. Countless organizations accept donations and offer opportunities for volunteer work to rebuild the lives of people who have lost everything. As students, we have access to a number of outlets to raise awareness of how change can be made in the world, as well as many organizations both close at hand and on the Internet that would allow us to be part of that change. All it requires is a little research and a phone call or a visit. The frustration that led me to pen this article comes from seeing on social media what can only be described as rants: purposeless venting of opinions that are only words on a web page. They affect no one and change nothing, except maybe insofar as they anger some of the ranter’s friends and break ties between him and those people who dissent from his opinion. The real change that can be made is never acknowledged, and that is why I am expressing myself here: to encourage readers to manifest in the form of actions and intentions the emotions they are feeling and the eagerness to change the world that, for a short period of time, arises within everyone after a catastrophe. Evil has a purpose, which is to corrode society and its unity and stability. Let us at least not let that happen; let us compose ourselves to display the resilience and rationality we are all fully capable of.