Comprehension of human suffering

Rwandan Convicted of Genocide

When I read stories like this, I have a hard time getting past the image of the "well dressed man in a suit." This particular "man in a suit" has been sentenced to life in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Somehow I can't wrap my mind around the thought that this prison sentence will atone for his crimes. Atonement to me comes in part with a sense of remorse. I see this man in a his nice suit and I can't help but think there is no possible way he will ever feel remorse for the gruesome brutality and suffering he has caused. There are a lot of points to make and thoughts to consider - like how things came to be the way they are. The events that led this man, the Hutu people, to commit genocide. I wonder what prison will be like for him. I'm really asking because I have no idea where convicted killers on such a scale go. I always just sort of put things like this out of my mind. But I wonder what happens when a man in a nice suit is sentenced for such crimes.

Also I know this has been said before but why is it that it's so much harder to feel a great loss and sadness and develop an understanding of suffering in regards to mass genocide as compared to the brutal death of one person? What is that disconnect so many of us have? Is it possible that maybe it is a condition of the human mind. That there is something biological protecting us against the comprehension of such massive grief and suffering? Just as we seek heat for warmth when it turns cold, does our mind dismiss unpleasant realities as a way of continuing our survival? Would we be too dumbstruck by grief if we were able to fully comprehend suffering on a major scale? When I was a kid I loved reading about natural disasters. My favorite book was a book of the earth's greatest natural disasters to date (1980s?). I was obsessed with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that turned Pompeii into ash, and the massive whirlpools that sunk ships. Earthquakes and floods were all terrifying and thus awe-inspiring. I think this was my "safe" way of realizing human suffering. Still it is more difficult to imagine suffering when it is actually caused by humans. I don't think we should dwell on pain but I do think everyone should have an understanding of human suffering to be aware of the grand scale of existence, of life and of our place in this universe.

*photo credits
Tony Karumba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Former Rwandan Army Col. Theoneste Bagosora, right, arrived with his co-defendant Col. Anatole Nsengiyumva at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on Thursday in Arusha, Tanzania.