I have thought a lot about it the last few days, since saturday especially when i saw the first pictures of the accident. The news today from Poland didnt help either. I am already in a mental slur because i basically cannot think of anything else like what i was being presented on internet. Honestly i think the majority of the world did. The tragedy of Iryna Zarutska, a innocent Ukrainian refugee that left her country, assuming she would have a better life. I cannot be any different than being very angry and apart from that just gazing in disbelief. I stand with Ukraine to and find the war terrible and hope it stops as soon as possible. What not everyone might consider is our history in the Slavic world, how we suffered under soviet influence for years. We are often being seen as cold or depressed. Is it a surprise really? Considering our history? Being betrayed by a specific other Slavic country multiple times. Me living in the Netherlands and apparently they assume i am 100% dutch that gives me the benefit or actually the disadvantage that they think they can make racist jokes about us. Thats already painful enough. But lets focus on Iryna again. Building her life on, working in a pizzeria going home after a long day. Just looking on your phone on the train, as it looked like listening to some music.
She took the courage to sit so close to that black man. I personally wouldn’t do that in that situation. Especially on footage its easy to judge but he had that confused look out of his eyes, apart from the fact that he shouldn’t have been there. US failed her, first thing you should do with such a incident is ignore the trolls. They are still people who don’t care because they claim she was a illegal immigrant, ridiculous! Why don’t we ever talk about racism towards Slavs? Psychological its proven that we feel safer around our own kind of people whether people like it or not.
Why it stings so much? She is the definition of innocence from the outside, hearing the stories which we must take as truth she was a kind soul, good for other people willing to do good deeds. A grateful person and she loved America, everything i expect from a typical Slavic girl given the chance in another country. It also makes me hurt, there were other countries that were closer and much safer than US. I understand US is a appealing choice for being the country of opportunities.i personally wouldnt done so, i dont see myself ever live in US. Especially there it feels like open season on us white people if i am honest. Why creates the ultimate tension is that he was quoting “got the white girl” its so utterly ignorant and stupid. The dehumanisation, how she bleed there to death of her wounds in intense shock. While no one went after her.
We have became such strangers of each other. People dont even bother to intervene. The scenario doesnt play in favor, given there were only black people on board. While one was even filming it. You are not human beings, everyone on board you are monsters. I can imagine someone would instantly freeze, afraid to intervene and be stabbed. Even though there were multiple men there. They just froze. But one thing i can say for sure, you should immediately have gone to her if the attacker is gone. They flew and then someone else went to stay with her for her last moments. It was too late, Iryna couldnt be saved anymore. But she may not be forgotten. And she will not be forgotten. At some point the main stream attention will die, we know how that works. Its part of life even though it hurts me to type that.
Only thing we can do is keep mentioning her once in a while, i didnt know her personally but still i feel connected to her. Because it just feels so real, i am deep inside a introvert guy myself. The way she didnt make a noise at all, the same could happen to me. I probably wouldnt scream or yell at all. Live would happen to me, i dont like trying to act the hero in my mind. I calculate realistically knowing myself how it would go. In the end you never know because survival instinct and adrenaline will kick in. I have seen the clip too much, can we imagine how it will have looked to her family? Seeing your loved ones being killed live. And even trolls meming it, i saw someone putting a knife gif under her post on her instagram.
Its sickening, and it feels strange knowing it actually is more than 2 weeks ago and if it wasnt for Elon it wouldnt have gone viral. To the clowns you will never erase us, this is why we preach be like Poland. I still deal with the grief but hope this helps to process it a little bit. Writing texts yourself helps. I have named my blog after her as a tribute. You are special Iryna Zarutska, keep saying her name. This kind of things feel like a nightmare, but then you realise you cant pinch yourself awake. It happens to be real. We are with you, you dont feel it, but the world feels it. I named my blog after her as a tribute. It doesnr make me a better person, but its the only thing we can give to her. She is for now only leaving the memories and respect people have for her. I feel devastated for her family and close friends who actively deal with the grief.
“Today is history and you are part of it”
