In Pakistan on September 20, a massive suicide bombing took place at the Islamabad Marriott Hotel, killing at least sixty people and wounding more than 250. It occurred the same day the new president of Pakistan, Zardari, made his first speech to Parliament regarding the fight against terrorism. While reading this article, I immediately thought back to the discussion we had in class the other day about the different ways people handle “perilous times”. Even though we were discussing how the Puritans dealt with “perilous times”, I found that the people of Pakistan dealt with these times similarly. For example, the Puritans would doubt themselves/others and in turn look to an authority figure for security just like the people of Pakistan. After the bombing occurred, the natives were scared. Zardari immediately took a stand comforting the Pakistani people. He “strongly condemned the bombing…and said the perpetrators would be brought to justice. He appealed to the public to remain calm” (Washington Post).
Another important step that Zardari took was bringing up the idea of remaining united in order to overcome this obstacle, “This is terrorism, and we have to fight it together as a nation”. The idea of uniting under a single cause is a reoccurring theme throughout history. When people are doubtful or in a time of fear, coming together and experiencing a sense of unity is a comforting feeling. It feels as though purely the number of supporters one has can overcome anything.
With any group one looks at, it seems as though everyone handles “perilous times” in a similar way. Observing groups after times like these is actually a very good way to analyze human nature. It is one of the only instances where one is able to catch the immediate reactions of humans and therefore one discovers human nature in the most genuine form.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/20/AR2008092000910.html?wpisrc=newsletter
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