MP – Thank you for your words. Though B”H I have never been faced with any challenge r”l as serious as the likes of neither the current one nor probably the one you describe as having experienced, I too have recently thought about the point you make. Without AT ALL taking away from overwhelmingly positive reaction and tremendous outpouring of good deeds we have seen in the past week (the responses alone continue to be truly inspiring), it does seem that this tragedy is perhaps receiving disproportional and greater attention/support than others have or do receive. That notwithstanding, I have a theory as to why this may be so and additionally it seems there may be a positive result from all this attention that will come to address your precise issue.
While I do NOT ch”vsh contemplate comparing/contrasting calamities r”l, I believe that in addition to some of the points made above there are some unique factors of this recent tragedy (hal’vai it should be the last) to which so much of the attention is owed. In my opinion, it is the combination of these aspects that makes this different than anything else we have ever seen before, at least in recent times.
First, as was already mentioned above, the focus of the tragedy was a child. While a tragedy that involves any person or persons is a tragedy, there is something about one that effects an innocent child that seems to pull harder at our heartstrings. While most victims are innocent by definition, the innocence of a child seems to supersede all innocence. Perhaps this is because a child is arguably the embodiment and epitome of innocence itself. Whatever the exact reason, it seems that this thinking/feeling leads to the following equation: the “more” the innocent is, the more sympathy people feel and show. (L’havdil, I believe this particular factor, to a large extent, explains the nationwide and even worldwide attention to — and even obsession with — the recent Casey Anthony case.)
Second, the sheer brutality involved in the event made it simply impossible for anyone to ignore. I think it is neither necessary nor appropriate to elaborate on this point.
Finally, and perhaps both the worst aspect of this tragedy and the greatest reason that this tragedy hit home as deeply as it has for so many, is the fact that it came from “within”, i.e., the perpetrator being a so-called Orthodox Jew. Not only did this contribute to the “shock factor” (a point referenced earlier as well) of the whole event, but I believe it is sending the message to so many of us to stop and look ourselves in the mirror; and as we do, we are reacting in large numbers, too.
Of course, the above is just one personal theory and opinion and, even if true, does not justify the lack of or less attention/reaction given to other tragic events, r”l. However, I will conclude by adding that it seems the fund being set up currently in response to this recent tragedy is being designed to address other tragic and needy situations (may there be no more of them), and so, perhaps specifically the concern of unbalanced attention for different calamities will be duly addressed and “reconciled”, as it were, through all of the extraordinary efforts being displayed during this unusually trying, though also uplifting, time.