Amanda Ripley
I just watched Bill O’Reilly “interview” one of the survivors of the US Airways crash on Fox. . . . Like most people, O’Reilly was absolutely convinced that there must have been panic and mayhem aboard the flight. He repeatedly questioned the survivor, a man who had barely dried off from a crash landing in the Hudson several hours before, about whether people were screaming and pushing on the plane. When the man explained that no, people had been generally calm and helpful, O’Reilly was amazed. He asked again and again why people had not become violent and hysterical, until the survivor agreed it was shocking indeed.
The truth is, in almost every disaster I have studied, people treat each other with kindness and respect. Violence and panic are extremely rare. An instant camraderie springs up between strangers--on a sinking ship or a bombed-out subway car. That is the rule, not the exception. . . .
Why donÂ’t we turn into raving maniacs? Because it is in our interest to be nice to each other. Under threat, we need each other more than ever. |