I See Humans But No Humanity
Politics . Society . UncategorizedIs the world falling apart? At times it seems like it is. Hearing about mass shootings in America, global warming and the massive internet shutdown in Sudan, makes it hard to believe humans will ever learn how to live on this planet. However, there is still hope and what happened in Italy in the past couple of weeks proves it.
Let’s be honest, vice-prime minister Matteo Salvini, is making Italy look terrible in front of the rest of the world. On June 29th Salvini had German captain Carola Rackete arrested, for disembarking on the coast of Lampedusa, Italy and saving 42 migrants who were found lost at sea more than a week earlier.
Carola Rackete, leading the German ship, Sea Watch 3, rescued the migrants and embarked on a journey from the North Pole, which lasted several days. On June 26th, due to the poor conditions of the migrants, she decided to enter Italian waters, defying the prime minister’s administrative order against immigration and risking being arrested, examined and fined.
Her actions were driven by a sense of responsibility and empathy for the migrants but Salvini saw the landing on the Italian coasts of Lampedusa as a crime against the law and danger for Italian citizens. The arrest of Carola Rackete happened three days after the landing and raised a lot of controversy and debate.
The most shocking factor in the whole matter is that humanity and empathy are considered felonies. The attempt to save other human lives, putting everything she has at stake, makes Carola Rackete a role model, rather than a criminal.
It was her duty of captain and, even more importantly, of human being to do all in her power to save the 42 migrants, who already came from draining and pitiful conditions. Calling this courageous act illegal is daring, humanity is legal, no matter what laws or decree are in force. Unfortunately, though, there are more humans than humanity.
I would go as far as to say that the heroic actions of Rackete have been perceived as outrageous and offensive by Salvini, who built his whole political campaign on his huge ego and social media presence. He took advantage of this episode to grossly attack Rackete’s about her origins, her appearance and diminishing her for being a woman.
Luckily, it all backlashed to some extent, because it gave away the ugly truth: Italian minister Matteo Salvini does not have what it takes to manage a country in a respectable way, he is a man whose loutish manners are often inappropriate and tactless.
It doesn’t get better than this, am I right?
On July 2nd, after her trial, Rackete was set free by judge Alessandra Vella, who gave proofs that there are rules and laws more important than the civil ones and they are morality and empathy.
The fear for what is different cannot be a reason to put other people’s lives at risk, nor to turn an act of humanity and compassion into a political fight. In a later interview Rackete stated that it was her moral duty to save those lives and that she would do it all over again if she had to.
In conclusion, according to what she says she did not act like a hero, but as a decent human being, therefore I wonder how many people would have done what she did, jeopardizing all they have, to help others first? There are no certain answers but I am afraid the number would be disappointing.
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