Learn From A Man Who Murdered Himself

I read about the story of Kevin Carter for the first time during the pandemic on a WhatsApp group in March 2020. The article stated that the South African photojournalist saw a dying girl suffering from a disease and a vulture stalking the child during the Sudanese civil war in 1994.

Kevin shot some photos of the scene without caring for the child’s survival. Thereafter, Kevin gained international applause and attention for the picture and also won an award for it. But after the applause, someone asked Kevin about the girl’s fate during an interview. He replied he didn’t wait to know as he had a flight to catch.

The interviewer gave Kevin a shocking response of his life by saying; two vultures were stalking the child that day, one was a bird, and the other was holding the camera. The statement got Kevin depressed, and he eventually took his life two months later.

In the comment session of the article, many people viewed Kevin as being inhumane for not saving the child. Yes, I also had this impression about him until curiosity led me to examine Kevin and this dying girl’s story. What I found out changed my opinion of him and made me wished Kevin had summoned courage and be patient a little while before committing suicide.

My Findings

First, I discovered Kevin could not touch the girl because it’s against the ethics of photojournalists to handle victims during war or epidemics for fear of spreading disease. So, they may not interact with the subject. Another source said Kevin scared the bird away, lit a cigarette, prayed, wept, and waited for about 20 minutes before leaving.

Second, I was shocked to find out that 17 years after Kevin’s death, the child’s father revealed the child was not a girl but a boy, Kong Nyong, and he did not die from the disease because the UN food aid station took care of him.

However, according to the father, Kong eventually died of malaria around 2007. But Kevin killed himself because of a guilty conscience. Probably he thought the child died because he did not save her. In contrast, the child survived the disease but died of malaria 14 years after.

The Moral Lessons

Set the priority right

First, value humans more than success because God places so much value on humans than other creatures. He even gave up His Son to save him. Hence, always put people’s safety above pursuing success.

If Kevin had taken pragmatic steps by calling people’s attention to the child after praying and weeping, he would have felt justified, relieved his conscience, and dared to fight his critics; he would have been alive today. We should know true love is more than feelings; it’s about action. Weeping and praying will achieve nothing until you make a move.

Take it easy

Second, no matter what happens in life, you should never give up on yourself. You are human and imperfect. You’re vulnerable to making many mistakes, and you need to know and accept this. If Kevin later discovered that the child never died until 14 years later, he will feel more depressed even in eternity.

However, that he felt so guilty about the child afterward showed Kevin was not inhumane. I guess Kevin left the child because he presumed he would make it to the UN food station, and in reality, he thought right.

Always apply discretion

Third, the Death of Kevin will teach will everyone a great lesson that it is essential always to apply discretion in whatever we’re doing. For example, had Kevin reasoned that the child’s survival would be a significant concern to the people than the photo he shot. He would likely have tried every means to help the child by, at least, calling people’s attention or, better still, to bury the picture in his bosom until he knows the fate of the boy. But he didn’t. Hence, it led to his death.

Destructive criticism is poisonous.

Fourthly, please don’t be too critical of other’s errors because you could harm them beyond repair. It’s likely, one of the reasons Kevin killed himself was because of various criticisms from people and the horrible things he had seen. No human is an angel. We all have our flaws. Hence, take it easy when you hear of other people’s errors because soon, another person will also discover yours. And remember, nature will always pay you what you do to others.

Your attitude has the final say

Finally, do not be too harsh on yourself when you’re passing through life’s difficulties. Instead, patience, resilience, and hopes are the virtue and attitude you should learn to cultivate. If you can work on your mindset, you’ll always outlive life’s challenges because “tough times never last, but tough people do,” says Robert Schuller.

Shalom.

Kevin Carter — Wikipedia

The vulture and the little girl — Wikipedia

Amid-coronavirus-Pulitzer-winning-vulture-the-little-girl-photo-makes-rounds-for-wrong-reason — India International Times

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