As most unite in grief, some are opportunistic
This nation of 76 million is in deep mourning. People are feeling sorrow and pain, and this is clearly manifested in their actions, which shows we can still unite in times of calamity. Politicians are being extremely careful not to criticize each other let alone slander one another. People are rallying to rush any kind of help to the families of the deceased workers.This disaster, however, has brought four important points to the surface that should be highlighted.Firstly, we have to look into the plight of the mineworkers of Turkey. It is clear that despite strong safety regulations put in force in 2012 there are still deficiencies in the system either from lack of proper inspections to enforce these measures or the measures are defective.This disaster in Soma has shown that every day we are sending thousands of mine workers underground in a deadly game simply because these people need the bread money to keep their families going. The sad stories that are emerging in Soma show the desperation of the workers who brave fatal conditions just to feed their families. We should at least pay them for the risks they are taking. This is a task for the government.Secondly, we see that the honorable people of this nation are massing help for the families of the deceased workers. The nation is honoring them with gratitude. People are racing with each other to offer financial, material and moral support. That makes us proud of our nation. Yet, are we doing the same to the family of Mehmet Aygün, the poor mine worker who was killed in a mining accident on Tuesday in Zonguldak? Shouldn't the loss of a single miner be as shocking as the loss of hundreds of miners? Isn't one human life as valuable as a thousand lives?Thirdly, we are placing too much emphasis on the families of the deceased miners, but shouldn't we provide the same help to the wounded and those who barely escaped death in the mad rush during the first hours of the accident? Don't they and their families deserve the attention and financial and moral support that the families of the deceased people are getting? After a trauma like this, will it be so easy for some of the miners to go back to the mines to try to earn a living? The state has to extend its hand to them as well.Fourthly we observe that some people are trying to exploit this disaster for ideological and political reasons. Trying to create havoc by marching in the streets at times like this can only be the work of anarchists who have no respect for human life. Our university students should be aware of this. Protesting the prime minister is too cheap and completely unnecessary. It would be understandable if this is done by families of the disaster victims as grief does strange things to people and we should respect this. But if it is done by people with ulterior motives we can only say "shame on you." Besides this we see some people are trying to belittle the prime minister for some of his statements on Soma. Poking fun at the prime minister for his words in these times of distress is simply insensitive.