A Heartbreak in Japan

[Lauren Andersen]

       When I first heard about the earthquake in Japan, my heart broke for those poor people. For those of you that don't know what is going on, Japan was hit with a 8.9-magnitude earthquake- one of the 5 most powerful earthquakes the world has ever seen. Triggered by the earthquake, a series of huge tsunami waves hit (up to 33 ft). Flooding thousands of miles of coastline, the tsunami waves destroyed the small amount leftover from the earthquake. Drowned and devastated, I can only imagine the Japanese thought nothing could get worse. Any spirit or amount of hope provided with that notation came pumbling down as death continues to sweep through their nation as the nuclear power plants begin to erupt. The nuclear power plant situations pose a threat on the entire country. Residents in a 12 mile radius of the nuclear plants were evacuated. With 5,692 confirmed deaths, 2,409 injured, and 9,522 missing and an expected increase in all of these numbers, Japan is in utter ruins. Half the town of Minamisanriku is missing. The Save the Children organization is reporting that as many as 100,000 children have been moved from their homes; many of whom have been split from their families due to the fact that the earthquake occured during a school day. To put this into perspective, multiply Fremd's student body by 30, completely wipe out Palatine and Hoffman Estates, then ask all the students to go find their parents. Don't forget that everything is destroyed and flooded, so you may have to swim if you want to find your way back to what used to be your home. If the citizens weren't physically harmed by the earthquake, downed by the tsunami, or had their skin burned off by nuclear radiation, they most certainly have recieved psychological damage that could possibly be irreversible.

       If you were unaware of what happend in Japan, I'm sure your heart is breaking at the moment. The majority of us enjoyed our weekends while thousands of people on the other side of the world struggled to stay alive. Not to say we all are a narcissistic group of egocentrists, but we are. Try this one on for size...Psychologist Steven Coen states that on average, decent human beings think about themselves 80% of the day and spend the other 20% considering other people. Really good people (for example, like Mother Theresa) spend only about 50% of the time thinking of themselves. I don't believe many people really stopped to consider what is going on. Even if it is human nature to let the thought pass through our minds for only a brief second, I think we should force ourselves to dwell on the devesatation in Japan for one second more. Hopefully that extra second will open your eyes and help put someone else's life into a new perspective.

 

 

If you want to help, donations are the best way to go.

Click Here To Donate

 

What other ways do you think we can help?

This is not Japan's first disaster. Let's not forget that America anielated the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs.

Do you think that we should give Japan more aid because of what happend in WW2?

What are your thoughts about Japan?

[Davy Mellado]

Here's another site that's creatively funding the rebuild. The company is called Hide & Seek Clothing. It is also around the right time to do most of your donating. Prior to now, Japan was just trying to organize how to attack this upset. I think this was a horrible disaster, and is up to the common man/woman to help Japan back on it's feet.

[Josh Jyawook]

this is always devistating no matter where it happens. its terrible seeing all the pictures and hearing of all the ruined homes and buildings, and all the deaths, and injured. if this ever happened to us around here for some reason we could lose anyone of our friends just like the people there. its just a terrible event.

[JohnPaulus V Arcangel]

I was shocked about what some people had to say about the incident that happened in Japan. They claim it was divine retribution for all the things Japan has done.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxNp9Evqo3E

 

1 minute  of it was all I could watch before my blood boiled.

[Connor Bieda]

This was such a tragic event when it happened, and I think the U.S should donate and help more than what we are doing now, we need Japan's economy to thrive just as much as we do because this has affected the 

global markets as well as Japans economy.

[Justin Park]

It is a terrible thing that happened to Japan. One of the strongest recorded earthquakes to hit and many of us were just enjoying our break. I believe we should help Japan in any way we can, but we must also consider that we can not go around spending money while we are going through difficuties. Japan is also not a third-world country that can and will overcome this event. I believe that what happened during WWII is not a reason to aid them, but help them in what little ways we can. I say we do.

[Abby Muller]

It's devistating to see yet another disaster take place in our world. How frequent are these things going to happen. Where's the next disaster gonna take place? It is scary to think about.