Two tales of pleas for help ignored, and two different reactions
Culture is something many of us don't think about in the context of our daily lives often. At least I know that I don't. What is the American culture anyway? I'm reminded of being prodded for answers on American culture by my sophomore history teacher. Instinct guides many to define American culture with hamburgers, Coca-Cola logos, and a white picket fence. Often we don't even consider what is called our non-material culture. This doesn't mean our language or the way we communicate. To me our culture also involves the character of our nation. The kind of people we are, and our society's capacity for compassion is central to our American culture. There is an Island of Japan that holds on of the highest population of elderly in the country. In the movie "Happier" it depicts the community centered lifestyle of these Japanese people. They all interact and help each other survive day to day. If someone is sick, the village will come together to pray for their health and make sure they are treated. When someone dies, they are buried along with the villages deceased, and they all rest in peace together. It is this sense of community and family within their culture that helps them attain such longevity. It is this aspect of culture that is lacking severely in American society, and as Stu Tarlowe discusses in the above article, it speaks highly of the moral standards in our country.
Trees planted in a crowded forest
All one yet they stand alone
Humans rush in crowded street
All connected by time and place
A tree falls in a quit forrest
A human cries out on a busy street
No one is there to hear that tree fall
No one hears the pleas for help
If no one heard that lonely tree fall
Did it even make a sound
No one stopped to answer the humans cry
On a street filled with empty souls
