Some random thoughts on the Japan story.
One of the worst earthquakes in recorded history, followed shortly after by one of the worst tsunamis in recorded history, follows by (potentially) one of the greatest nuclear accidents in history and yet…somehow many people suspect that the other shoe has yet to drop. I hope they are wrong.
I don’t ever want to see another tsunami video. Ever. It is too heart-wrenching. The sense of loss, too overwhelming.
There should be a ban, enforced at the end of a gun, against the media using words they don’t understand. Like meltdown. Ask one of the talking heads what a meltdown is and you will get blank stares. Ask them what a fuel rod is and they more than likely say its something they eat before going to the gym. Don’t. Use. Words. You. Don’t. Understand.
Lefty opportunists are the worst kind of opportunists. No matter what happens, people will use it to push their agenda. Over the last days we have seen a parade of agenda driven lefties making the media rounds, particularly the anti-nuclear power nuts. Creeps. And of course, earthquakes (along with cold winters and athlete’s foot) is caused by global warming. By all means, use the image of thousands of bodies washing up on shore to score political points. It’s so you.
Scariest news out of Japan this past weekend has been the lack of news. Nothing is scarier than when no one is talking.
The stoicism of the Japanese people is something I don’t think I will ever forget.
Handheld video has changed the way we view the world. Forever.
Attention Wisconsin protesters, this is called perspective.
They called the ’90s in Japan ‘the lost decade’. I suspect they won’t use that phrase anymore.
Its hard to imagine guardian angels standing by and watching such a thing. This baby’s obviously didn’t.
Cliches are cliches because they are true. It is cliched to say that this could have been worse. But it could have been much much worse. Building codes and tsunami warnings saved countless thousands of lives.
The people of Japan need shelter, food, water, and Jesus. Don’t forget the Jesus. Pray. Pray. Pray.
March 15, 2011 at 4:14 am
Just so you know, you are one of the very, very few folks whose link set up as the child's is I would click on. Too many would make a nihilistic point of linking to horror, not hope.
March 15, 2011 at 10:05 am
Another random thought : no looting. Imagine that.
March 15, 2011 at 11:17 am
Our Lady of Akita please intercede for the Japanese. Enough is enough
March 15, 2011 at 11:21 am
I couldn't agree more about the video – it is too much. People are perishing in those videos, something I won't watch as I drink my coffee. One was enough for me.
March 15, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Love this post. I, too, am so impressed with the people of Japan and am praying, praying for them to be spared any more harm. lois in Indy
March 15, 2011 at 1:45 pm
Hmm…did my post get deleted, or did I accidentally not post?
March 15, 2011 at 2:32 pm
Strange… it showed up in my inbox….
Blue Shoe has left a new comment on the post "Japan: Random Thoughts":
Unfortunately there's a big gap between Japan and America, and not just in terms of distance. There IS news coming out, but it can be difficult to find in English. For those of us in the Japanese blogging/tweeting community, there has been a lot of information flowing since the 11th.
I know what you mean, though, because despite all the information available here, it's difficult to know what to believe. The Japanese media and government have been notorious for downplaying such events in the past. (Check out this post by Debito Arudou, a giant in the foreigners' rights movement in Japan: http://www.debito.org/?p=8642)
On the other side of the spectrum are the foreign media, many of which are hyping things up to be more exciting, but actually giving false information or making things out to be worse than they are.
Things are bad, but they could always be worse. And yes, the videos and pictures coming out are heartbreaking. It's kind of difficult to be this close and unable to really do anything to help at the moment.
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Posted by Blue Shoe to Creative Minority Report at March 15, 2011 3:37 AM
March 15, 2011 at 2:49 pm
St Francis Xavier, pray for the people of Japan! I have several tangential connections there and recently read that Japan is the least evangelized country in the world, so I have been praying even before the earthquake. Couldn't agree more re the blabbering media. These are such complicated issues and people seem to want to blame the earthquake. I will just pray. Thanks, Patrick, and Happy Saint's Day in 2 days.
March 15, 2011 at 4:01 pm
A suggestion. Go to the CRS site and donate as much as you can to help the Japanese people.
March 15, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Our Lady of Akita appeared on a 13th like so many other Marian apparitions. And it seems to me the 13th was when we really started to see the nuclear sites falling apart. Yes, I too am waiting for the second shoe, as I pray for all of those in Japan. that's the good me.
the bad me thinks we elected Nero for president…
March 16, 2011 at 12:57 am
Thanks, Foxfier! Weird.
March 16, 2011 at 4:53 am
We need armies of Catholic missionaries ready to go and help these people. Where are they? St. Francis Xavier, St.Therese, pray for us!