Thursday, December 22, 2016

Baymax in Aleppo

Aleppo has fallen. Wikipedia's article now reads, "Aleppo was a city...". 
Was.
I keep weeping; how can I not despair of my species?

Think of the helpers, Mr. Rogers says.

Baymax represents that side of us.
Baymax is cute, but he is not a fluffy character.
He is a "personal healthcare companion" made by robotics engineer Tadashi who desired to help people after both his parents were killed. 
Then Tadashi is killed too. 
His little brother, Hiro, who took a nihilistic route after their parents' death, discovers and accidentally activates Baymax. Big Hero 6 is about what happens next.

You could see that helper spirit in the White Helmets in Aleppo--the all-volunteer civil defense workers--mostly just ordinary men and women who stayed to help in search-and-rescue, dug people out from bombed buildings, put out fires, everything.

Their motto was from the Quran: 
“Whoever saves one life, saves all of humanity.”

God knows what's become of them now...

I have given their helmets Baymax eyes.

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