The Unequal Weight of Tragedy: Examining Our Responses at Sea.

The recent deaths of five people aboard a submersible at the site of the Titanic wreck received far more attention than the hundreds who died on a migrant boat off the Greek coast. The contrast in response has fueled a discussion about class and ethnicity, with some seeing it as an example of racism and xenophobia. While status and race play a role in how the world responds to disasters, other factors such as familiarity and the ability to empathize with individual victims also come into play. Human rights advocates are directing their anger at European governments for their hardened attitudes towards migrants and their failure to rescue them.