Hope for the future masks the scares left behind

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/08/22/iraq.boy/index.html

By now you have already seen and heard of the five-year-old boy who was scarred for life by the horrifying acts of masked Iraqi men. If the pictures haven’t made your insides turn and your heart shatter, then the story behind it will. The sectarian violence has trapped many innocent victims in a world of constant brutality and the daily struggles aren’t so different for children either. “They dumped gasoline, burned me, and ran” Youssif told CNN. The boy has had to deal with his scares physically and emotionally. Common tasks like eating and playing outside have become discomforts for both Youssif and the family. Melted away like the dark groves in his face, the boy’s joy and excitement have been suddenly replaced with deep fear and undeserved sense of depression.

I think many of us take for granted the ability to smile and the ability to express happiness to its fullest. The boy’s traumatic experience lead to an overwhelming response of those willing to give any resources they could offer. The Children’s Burn Foundation and the Grossman Burn Center have all agreed to provide and cover medical costs for Youssif and his family in the United States.

According to the article, the story about the young boy was the most-read, non-breaking news story in CNN.com’s 12-year history. “It is heart-warming and restorative to see such generosity and goodness emerging from this truly unspeakable horror,” CNN.com’s senior vice president and senior executive producer Mitch Geleman said.

The story was written in a very appropriate way, giving readers both the ability to grasp the story as a whole without jeopardizing the family’s identity and livelihood. In fact, at the beginning of the article CNN.com noted that they agreed not to use the full names of the mother and son in the article due to concern for their safety. The writer organizes the information to encourage readers not only to act, but also to realize that the war is not only affecting a country at large but also destroying the lives of those who are defenseless. The writer’s style illustrates a more personal perspective rather than using a writing method that puts it along side today’s war casualties and bomb explosions. The mother took a massive risk my telling her story to the world and in return the writer acknowledges her courage and chooses specific experiences in order to create a strong and powerful response. Most stories are able to grasp the story in its entirety in several words, but this story has a personal edge that is heart-felt enough to cause a movement of compassion and concern. The writers’ ability to demonstrate this story in an ethical way further captures a message that is universal, a message that gave hope to a family that had become so terrified and scared.

The family arrived in the United States for the first time in their lives and amongst the excitement and disbelief they all felt a sense of peacefulness and safety. According to the article, for the first time in a long time, the family laughed out of pure joy.