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The Short Vort- “The Wreck of the Costa Concordia” (1/19/12)
The Short Vort
Good Morning!
Today is Thursday the 24th of Teves 5772 and January 19, 2012
The Wreck of the Costa Concordia
The entire world watched in horror as the Italian cruise ship The Costa Concordia partially sank off the western coast of Italy.
Out of the 4,200 people who were on this floating city, at least eleven people were killed.
The boat which cost 570 million dollars was almost 1000 feet in length and had a crew of over one thousand with 17 decks.
According to Wikipedia:
Costa Concordia has 1,500 cabins; 505 have private balconies and 55 have direct access to Samsara Spa; 58 suites have private balconies and 12 have direct access to the spa.
Costa Concordia has one of the world’s largest exercise facility areas at sea, the Samsara Spa, a two-level-65,000 sq ft, fitness center, with gym, a pool, sauna, Turkish bath and a solarium. The ship has four swimming pools, two with retractable covers, five Jacuzzis, five spas, and a poolside screen on the pool deck.
There are five onboard restaurants, with Club Concordia and Samsara taking reservations-only dining. There are thirteen bars, including a cigar and cognac bar and a coffee and chocolate bar.
Entertainment options include a three-level theatre, casino, and a discotheque. There is a children’s area equipped with PlayStation products. The ship has a Grand Prix motor racing simulator and an Internet café
This was a floating hotel; a hedonistic hostel, a splendid spa with all of the amnesties of our material world.
However, it also had one man whose human input and whose mortal and moral determinations would impact on the lives of those 5,000 human beings.
According to the preliminary investigation, the Captain, Mr. Schettino is accused of steering the cruise ship too close to the island of Giglio so that his head waiter could see his family home.
The Captain is also accused of abandoning the vessel and is being charged with manslaughter.
Imagine how this gargantuan vessel equipped with all of the most modern state of the art high tech computer systems; with a crew of over 1000 -was brought to its ‘knees’ by the simple irresponsibility and negligence of one human being.
Consider the fact that this one human being was being paid a generous salary and was charged with one primary task to guarantee the safety of these five thousand people.
Notwithstanding all of the above, the man discarded his most primary responsibility to allow his head waiter to get a glimpse of his family home on the island of Giglio.
We are all appalled and shocked by the recklessness of Captain Schettino.
We shake our heads in disbelief at his cavalier attitude toward human life.
We can never imagine ourselves being so indifferent and flippant to the lives of those who entrust their safety into our hands.
Think about Captain Schettino the next time you reach for your cell phone as you are driving.