Millions across the world were mesmerized by the morbid details surrounding the latest Titanic tragedy – the implosion of a submersible vessel that had gone 12,500 feet down into the Atlantic Ocean to see its wreckage.
Following the confirmation that a catastrophe had occurred, people all over the world began mocking Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, whose company created the doomed sub. Everywhere you looked, people were condemning him – after he died on the submersible – for being reckless, not listening to expert advice, and even using materials that were known to be unsafe. He was an idiot, everyone seems to concur. And that idiocy was solely responsible for his death and that of four others.
But after a couple of days of thinking about it, I realized: the submersible is still alive and well in each and every one of us. Or at least most of us. Let’s remember, the creator of the doomed sub didn’t take proper precautions. He ignored basic safety protocols and he refused to listen when others kindly told him that his actions were going to lead to disaster. Don’t we all do that?
It was barely a week ago when your site published terrifying footage of two girls nearly being struck by a bus in Boro Park. That incident was caught on camera and shared widely to dissuade others from making their mistake. But how many such incidents do we never hear about? How many in the city or the mountains are there near tragedies thanks to us not being vigilant and ignoring what Hatzolah and other safety officials tell us?
We can sit here and make fun of the idiots that caused the Titanic sub disaster, or we can recognize that we all have a Titanic sub inside of us, and worry about the idiots that we are being. I hope we all choose the latter.
Chaim P – Brooklyn, NY
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6 Responses
This mailbag feature is fairly new here on YWN, and I think it should be terminated, mainly for lack of any intelligent content, but also due to lack of public interest. Either lose it, or be more selective about whose monologues you will publish. Are there no clear thinkers who have something to say about things going on in today’s world? Please, YWN, stop embarrassing yourselves. Just the last two postings alone are good examples of silliness better left unsaid and unheard. Comparing the foolish rich bored zeroes who handed over half a million to someone who could care less about their safety to some child running unsafely into the street? Really? What wisdom! And complaining about how the Torah is against speaking ill of foolish dangerous leaders? What insightful thinking! So wonderful and inspiring to read!
YWN, please…
Moderators Note: The “Mailbag feature” is 19 years old on YWN.
What is this gibberish? Anyone with a keyboard feels competent to write an op-ed? Parents have been keeping a pretty good eye on their kids for a long time (forever). There are no accidents, only din shomayim.
Well said!
My comment:
The goyim hashkofa is that you see your family after you die this is part of the churches beliefs but yidden believe that there is a judgment on how hard you tried to sanctify hashem and nobody talks about this but the gemora and a pasuk in Koheleth and if you study it you see that the only honor one take after death is the great God.
The purpose of going to see the titanic is the spookiness of the great and wealthy people that died and wanted to live a rich life
Gotta go
I think the writer makes an important point. This tragedy definitely captured the attention of the country and beyond. We would be greater idiots not to learn the lessons. Throughout Jewish history, we seem to perpetuate the model from Neviim – Hashem is good to us, we forget who has blessed us with this amazing wealth and betray Hashem, we are punished with a tragedy and we repent.
We are taught that tragedy doesnt have to be in our home for it to be a lesson for us to wake up, recognize Hashem, and act accordingly.
For those who dont like the mailbag venue, simply turn off your computer and go back to learning etc.
nice point