I was going to post a review today but, instead, this is a small post to express and send out my heartfelt condolences to all the families whose loved ones were tragically murdered in the Germanwings flight, two of whom amongst the many, were our own Australian citizens. I say the word murdered, and though it is a strong word to use, I personally believe that it is the correct one.
In case you have not heard, it was the co-pilot of this fated flight who very deliberately, flew the plane into the French Alps. Someone with one of the most trusted positions in the world decided that the lives of 150 people did not matter and used his skills to turn the plane onto a destructive path.
Initially when I heard of this tragedy, I assumed it was an accident. Is that not the logical conclusion to go to? I didn’t think terrorists, I didn’t think hijack, I thought awful, awful accident. But now, I am beginning to wonder if I should of thought of humans first, because it seems these days, so many tragedies are caused by our own kind, and the concept of ‘bad luck’ is fast becoming a myth.
We are becoming too intelligent to fall victim to accidents and too cruel to not create our own disasters.
I am angry. The level of ire I am feeling as I type is almost inexplicable, and there have been so many unhappy events in the past year alone, that I don’t know why this one has strung me up. Maybe it is because of the helplessness. The inability to act. The pilot locked out of the cockpit, the passengers in bewilderment. Like being in a car without a break.
All because of one awful, selfish creature that I can’t even call a ‘man’ right now.
Now, people may judge me. This co-pilot had a history of depression, psychological problems. He was cleared to fly, his sight, his hearing, his physicality in perfect working condition (how I wish it hadn’t been). And doing psychology, am I not supposed to feel a level of sympathy with one who always was, or became again, mentally unstable?
No. No I do not.
I feel no sympathy for someone, whose insanity is so far gone, their actions cause the death of over 100 innocent lives.
The police remain unsure of his motives, was he suicidal, psychotic? Was he angry at the world, angry at a particular few, but needed to release it? Personally, I find it difficult to believe he was suicidal. I don’t know if that is what authorities will rule or rule out, but a suicidal man often does his deed alone. It is a heinous idea that someone so unhappy with his life would also take the lives of others. All out of spite for how his own existence turned out.
Reading over a few articles, there have been suggestions that despite being physically at a high standard, his depressive tendencies were a constant factor in his life. It has also been suggested that he was struggling with personal relation issues. Relationship issues? Really? The basis of this deliberate, voluntary murder was your personal relationship problems resurfacing your depression? How I hope that is media gossip because I can’t stomach the idea of someone becoming so deranged over an issue as such. It makes me angrier.
Regardless of his motives, regardless of suggestions of mental instability, I don’t care. This was a conscious voluntary act of murder in my eyes. And I know, it is not all black and white, but right now, in my mind, it is pretty clear.
To all the families of the victims, there is nothing I can write, nothing no one can say to make it alright. But we can send our support, our condolences to each and every one of you. I won’t say it will be easier to live with it, that all you need is time, but we all know that isn’t true. So again, all I can say is that I am very, very sorry, on behalf of myself and my readers (I hope) and that we send our love.
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In terms of aviation, the rules are changing instantly. A two pilot cockpit rule has been established. A stronger, thorough, more in-depth standard of mental health examination is being erected, as I type, and tapped away into aviation administration. But honestly, did you not think of this before?
Paraphrasing John Gadzinski, a Navy pilot of 29 years experience (who has never had a mental aviation examination) ‘If you ask a mentally ill patient if he has any mental disabilities, he will say no.’ Are you going to tick off his physical and let him get on pilot controls? It is not enough to ask on a medical form ”write down your history of mental illness’. How many people are going to admit to it in the first place, denial being one of the worst traits of human nature.
I may be a little pessimistic here but why does it seem to usually take a tragedy for humans to pursue intelligent change?
Go Bake Yourself 