[img]958|left|Alex Campbell||no_popup[/img]Dateline Boston — “Disaster in the Pacific!” It really bugs me when the media sensationalizes a tragic event. As much as I want to keep abreast of what’s happening in Japan, I don’t want to see a glow in the dark headline every five minutes; just tell me what’s happening. Last week there was an earthquake in Japan that measured 9.0 on the Richter scale, followed by a tsunami that washed away whole villages. It happened on Friday, and all weekend long I could count on up-to-date information and videos, as hard as they were to watch.
It looked like someone had knocked over a giant glass of water, and it spilled all over villages and towns, taking houses and cars with it. The most horrifying video I saw was six minutes long. It showed a clear street, with water coming in slowly. Then more water rushed in, and more, and soon water was overflowing the street. Cars started floating. It showed a storefront, and over the six minutes the water level rose so much that you couldn’t see the top of the store doorway anymore. The cameraperson showed that people were safe, standing on a high surface they’d gotten to via stairs and a ramp. They stood there helpless, as water rushed all around them. At the end of the video, a house began floating. You could hear it being torn from its foundation. It was an eerie sound.
The videos that really make me cry are the ones from the news reports showing reunions of survivors. Imagine the feeling of loss replaced by relief as people find parents, children and friends who are alive after such devastation.
How Did He Get Through?
I have a friend who lives in Fukushima where the nuclear power plant is. He’s not near the power plant, but his electricity was going on and off. He instant messaged me on the weekend of the tsunami. Thinking of the electricity, I asked, “How are you instant messaging?” He replied, “By Gmail.” I had to laugh, which felt good, under the circumstances.
I lived in Japan for almost a year in 2001 and 2002. I was there to teach English, and I went, representing my hometown of New York City. A month after I arrived, 9/11 happened. I felt helpless. I didn’t know anyone directly affected by 9/11, and the videos looked like a movie to me, like it really wasn’t happening.
When I lived in Japan, I lived in Chiba prefecture, about 40 minutes from Tokyo. I lived in a farming community of 8,000 people. It wasn’t on the coast, but it was close enough. My town could have easily been swept out to sea during a tsunami. I can’t, and yet I can, imagine what it’s like in those small towns. I don’t know anyone directly affected by the earthquake and tsunami. But this time the videos seem more real to me. I never went downtown, the area that was affected by 9/11. I wasn’t a businessperson. In Japan, I lived in a small town and traveled all over. I could see myself in the towns that got ravaged. Again, I feel helpless.
Days later, “Disaster in the Pacific” is no longer the main headline. The news reports are short blips about the nuclear power plant, supplemented with the headline, “Would Americans be Safe if Something Like This Happened to Us?” Good ol’ America, constantly thinking of itself. Wasn’t something happening in Libya?
I don’t want screaming headlines, but I don’t want short blips or no story, either. Maybe I should try to find a new news station. Till then, I’ll use Gmail to IM my friend in Fukushima.
Ms. Campbell may be contacted at snobbyblog@gmail.com
