Tsunami

I haven’t written publicly about the tsunami that took place the day after Christmas. Frankly, nothing I could write would help anyone involved with the tragedy cope, nor would anything I could write would help me comprehend. This should be a time of herculean humanitarian efforts to help those millions in need, and those mammoth efforts are underway. I can’t remember mention of any greater human tragedy in the last several hundred years, and I couldn’t imagine any way that this horrible event could possibly be turned for anyone’s advantage.

Tonight, however, NBC News is reporting that an arabic media outlet (can’t remember if it was in print or television) blamed the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on nuclear testing from the United States, India and Israel. That someone could think that is incomprehensible to me. That someone could then parade that as truth is even harder for me to get my arms around. There’s even reports that this earthquake and tsunami are the fault of United States — as I understood the newscast tonight — because of our celebration of Christmas and “bad thoughts” toward arabs and/or muslims.

I am incensed. I am offended. And, most of all, I can’t believe that this level of hatemongering and inflammatory posturing is taking place in light of one of the worst human tragedies in a very, very, very long time. And to what end? Simply to stir the pot, and perhaps, incite someone to do something stupid on our soil.

I don’t care what your beliefs are in God, religion, politics, science, creation, abortion, operating systems or camera manufacturers are or are not — I do expect folks to act rationally, and to exercise their best side when faced with tragedy. I don’t expect folks to try to capitalize on human misery and tragedy, and I certainly can’t abide that.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, that’s all I’ve got to say about that.