The Hubris of Insensitivity

How the sad walls of Affluence and White Privilege keep us in worlds light years apart

Michael "Mick" Bisignani
4 min readAug 25, 2023
Photo by Dmitrii Zhodzishskii on Unsplash

Once in a while, you just gotta rant. I recently heard the somewhat disturbing story of soon-to-be newlyweds who, despite all a steady stream of horrific news out of Hawaii, insisted on honeymooning on the devastated island of Maui. One hundred fourteen deaths, over 350 unaccounted for. Ashes still smoldering. WTF, I must scream.

Why is this? How can this be? Let this sink in and ask. Is it just pure Selfishness, Selfishness, Selfishness? Or is it the result of affluence? Is it the privilege, perhaps white privilege, that one feels entitled to? Is it the self-constructed reality that separate us into dwellers of Elysium and those who are left to scavenge around on an arid, god-forsaken underlying Earth ? As a believer in equality and empathy, I am deeply sadden to hear stories such as this. I wish greater signs of good humanity circulated instead of tales such as this. Have we moved beyond Stockholm Syndrome where even mass hurt does not register? [3]

Hawaii, despite appearances, it not the richest state , and nor is it the cheapest place to live in. It is 30th in GDP per capita, and third highest in gas prices. [1] [2] I am sure the wildfires are causing hurt, despair, hardship for so many, and for the…

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Michael "Mick" Bisignani
Michael "Mick" Bisignani

Written by Michael "Mick" Bisignani

Professional Technologist, Aspiring Food Celebrity. Catholic spreading messages of Empathy and Equality.

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