On 19 March, the Czech media reported that a 14-year-old girl from Ostrava had not been seen since the previous afternoon and is considered missing. The Czech Police are asking the public to aid in the search for her.
Parents who hear about a child going missing must feel the blood freeze in their veins. Anyone who has had the experience of their little one running off in the department store or the zoo and enduring a few minutes of the torment of not knowing where the child is, if the child is at risk of danger, or injured, would never wish a similar fate on anyone.
Usually in such cases empathy touches the most sensitive sides of our soul, prompting us to express our hopes, our participation, and our support. What, then, must be in the hearts of the people who have been commenting on the news item about the missing Kristýna on news server Novinky.cz?
Anger, enmity, and hatred – and why? Kristýna is Romani.
A screenshot of the commentaries was posted to the "Obludárium" ("Freak Show") Facebook page, where it is by far the most monstrous of the items featured there. Unless you read it, you would find it hard to believe that such people are really living among us here.
What is worse, these people are not ashamed to publicly display their depravity. Others exist out there who "click" their agreement with them.
Those who keep calling for "decency" in this country are missing its very cornerstone. That cornerstone is humanism.
I hereby announce a nationwide, all-points bulletin: Humanism is in danger! Sometimes we hear that someone has caught a glimpse of it, so it may still exist somewhere on the territory of the Czech Republic – if you’ve seen it, or know where it has taken refuge, don’t hesitate to let us know.
