Worthy vs Unworthy Lives
This week in ASTU, we talked about the first chapter of Judith Butler’s Frames of War. Although I had difficulty reading it at the beginning, I really enjoyed it. She claimed in her book that we are all connected and our survivability depends on one another. Other than this, she critiqued the US’ reaction towards the 9/11 incident and the democracy it was trying to preach. I liked many things about her way of thinking since I’m a pacifist myself. I know it’s a strong word to claim just like feminism. Apparently, I am both. But I want to focus on what we perceive as life and what we do not.
“We mourn for some lives but respond with coldness to others (36).” This one quote from Butler struck me the most. I highlighted it a bunch of times to make sure I go back to it when I find the reason why. I did get the answer from Butler. She argued that we don’t consider barbaric or pre-modern as human (42). That’s why when the US is bombing Muslims, nobody feels guilt or mourns for them because they’re considered “uncivilized”. That’s why when natives were being killed by Indian hunters, this act was celebrated instead of punished. That’s why nobody’s closing Guantanoma Bay where hundreds of detainees, even innocent ones, are being tortured because nobody thinks they’re fully human.
This is where I quite disagree with Butler. I think we respond coldness to others because we don’t share the same values as them and because their death will somehow benefit us. That is cold as it gets.
For instance, why did we mourn with Paris when they were attacked not so long ago? Why didn’t we mourn for Mali when the same thing happened?
You can argue that the media doesn’t cover it as much. I remember Professor Erickson passionately saying, it’s because “they’re too black.” Butler will argue it’s because we think they’re uncivilized. I agree with all of them but I want to add it’s because they’re different from us. Their lifestyle is different. In Paris, they share the same values as us. They love sports. They have tall buildings too. They’re white. They’re civilized. Mali is a desert with no buildings, with black people, and have lives different from us. Why would CNN or Fox news or Facebook be interested in that?
That is the devastating truth. Hopefully, years from now this will change. War will cease. Violence will be lessened (I know it’s idealistic but one can hope). I mean come on people. We’re the specie who invented smartphones, cars, wifi, and memes! Why can’t we invent peace?