This being the anniversary of one of the most devastating tsunamis ever recorded, it is only just that we reflect on what disasters mean to people in other places, other times and in other circumstances. For us in America who watched on TV the planes crashing into and destroying the Trade Towers in 2001, our memories of that terrorist murder are hard put to compete with the thousands of pictures made of that wall of water that destroyed the lives, not only those immediately drowned, but of those who “survived” one year ago.
Tsunamis are of many kinds. They may originate under the water in an earthquake thousands of miles away from where they land. Or, they may simply be the death of a breadwinner leaving behind a spouse and children and no savings or other relatives who can take over his responsibilities. It is these kinds of things rather than the mega disasters that register on the scale of 1-10 as 5 and up and, as earthquakes, make us wonder at the power that lies unseen and unplanned for underground or from other sources man-made or just bad luck.
I am reflecting on the tsunamis that are really very small – but they impact hugely on families without local, State or Federal protection. The question must be asked – why are there no local, State or Federal protections provided in this new century that is soon to be six years old? The answer is that there are enough who have theirs and they soon forget the earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and are ignorant of the hunger, destitution and chronic debilitating illnesses that beset the poor, the old and the unlucky. Why should they care? That is part of the conundrum that our memories do not let us think about them. We only know the joy of a holiday celebration, a windfall of presents that make us feel good and a moment or two when the pressures of bad luck lifts to allow a glimmer of better times ahead.
Most of us do not live like Joe Btfsplk who used to appear in Al Capp’s Lil Abner cartoon. Joe lived under a black cloud under which it rained constantly. He was always miserable. Most of us are visited by that black cloud only sporadically and some really unlucky ones get more than their fair share. Most of us avoid the worst of that cloud but all of us are affected in some degree or another.
How can we not be affected by human misery whether caused by hurricane in the Gulf Coast, earthquakes in California and Terrorists in cities around the world? We cannot hide from these tsunamis that originate sometimes on other continents - but we could plan ahead for them and help those in need.