A Sense of Humor Should Involve.....Humor

I have been sitting around all day feeling "some kind of way" about a conversation that I was involved in this morning. I was reading a status update about a report of several men piled in a car in Afganistan. They way it played out was as such: A lady with whom I am acquainted, has a husband working construction in Afganistan. He told her that there were 7 men piled in a car that came to work. The driver then proceeded to get out of the car, pop the trunk, and let 2 additional men out. Now from our perspective as westerners, we associate people piled in a car as a stunt in a circus or some kind of trick where shenanigans are involved. Therefor, I can see how initially it would seem kind of comical. But as I read down her comment log I became nothing short of irritated at the laughter and jokes that were made.

Let's keep this in context these were not clowns in a circus. Body odor and bodily functions were probably the least of their worries. These were men in a developing country who were there to work harder than most of us are willing to work. For longer than most of us are able to work. For money that won't cover what most of our need for survival, let alone any luxuries. Is that funny? When I pointed this out the entire group of people still tried to skirt the issue and laugh. To be honest, I was a bit of a jackass because I just refused to excuse and let it go. I did not play into the normal social graces that we perform to let people off the hook, and press past awkwardness. I just felt that these men were worthy of better treatment than that. So I kept pointing at the elephant in the room. Some admitted to their insensitivity, others were too proud, and arrogant.

Why are we still so desensitized to anyone that is not a part of our group, that we can gloss past more important issues at hand? Why is it that if our skin is not the same color, and our religion aligned, and our language congruent, than someone is less human/worthy? I just can't see looking past someone else's suffering based on any of the previously mentioned criteria. A song I learned as a tot, taught me a very important life lesson. It's a Small World After All. It truly is a small world after all. And, that point of view makes my list of friends, allies, brothers, and sisters a lot larger.