Publisher’s Note: Is tragedy relative?

By Mary Grossman

Last Thursday, Jan. 3, I attended an annual charitable luncheon given by Lynn Friess. This year she invited Smokey Rhea, executive director of the Community Resource Center, to speak a bit about the Center and the challenges it faces as a crisis center and a nonprofit that relies on fundraising. CRC temporarily assists locals with items like rent, utilities, and life skills. It does not receive state or federal money.

Rhea relayed heart-wrenching stories of local people facing terminal health issues and misfortune and CRC’s constant struggle to raise enough funds to support them.

Meanwhile, back at the office, reporter Jake Nichols was breaking the story about three local adventurers who were allegedly assaulted and robbed by Peruviuan villagers while on vacation. I’m sure you’ve read about it. Since Thursday, the story of the Americans vs. Village People has drawn international media attention and has sparked a divisive response from readers across the world. Friends, family and politicians rallied sympathy and financial support while skeptics called the story a fabrication.

Some commenters at jhweekly.com were appalled that the trio has benefitted from an online fundraising site to recoup the nearly $30,000 in stolen or damaged gear, computer equipment, cameras and more. Despite criticism, in less than two days the site had raised approximately $20,000.

I believe the tourists’ story and I believe it was brutal (I also believe they made some errors while traveling in rural Peru that may have led to the mishap,) but what really stands out, is the contrast between these two stories of local people in need that came about on the same day.

It’s interesting that the traumatized climbers and their stolen climbing gear, computers and cameras can elicit more pathos and fundraising power than a local single mother of two who has been diagnosed with stage-4 colon cancer and must quit her crappy hourly job because she’s going to die. How is it that the upper middle-class vacationers, who had a horrible misadventure, outdo in sympathy and support the real tragedies right here in front of our faces, in Jackson Hole?

Is death, poverty, mental illness, physical abuse and homelessness just not as sexy as getting your gear ripped off?

Originally appeared in Planet Jackson Hole, January 9, 2013 HERE