Our Tsunami?

Not sure who said this, or if it was a headline in some newspaper. I'm not underestimating the tragedy - I want to help and am looking for ways to do just that and mobilize others to serve. However, a couple of thoughts...

1. Latest death tolls for the most recent Tsunami are somewhere in the neighborhood of 250,000. As of February 2005, almost 2 months after the Tsunami, they were still finding 500 bodies a day in Indonesia (which lost some 160,000 people).
2. There was no advance warning for people to evacuate, unlike every hurricane we'll ever experience. Sure, the structural demolition is comparable, but think of the human lives saved because some did hear the warnings and evacuate. Just thoughts.

I think our country is learning a lot right now, and I'm excited to see so many people put others first.

BTW, if you haven't seen Hotel Rwanda yet, you should. One intersting quote from the movie that's worth discussion: there is a clip where a reporter says that Americans will just watch the news and see the tragedy and then go back to their dinners and say "Oh how awful."

I think we're guilty of doing that with disasters and famine and political genocide that happens in "other places." Well, we're getting a firsthand taste this time. I hope our hearts & eyes remain open.