Disaster in Japan

Flipping through the pages of The News & Observer, it was no surprise to see many articles about the disaster in Japan that occurred on March 11, 2011. As I began to read the articles, I expected mostly information about radiation and the reactions of Japan’s citizens to this catastrophe. For the most part, this was true – true until I came across an article entitled, “Japan long overlooked nuclear risk of tsunami.”

This article essentially blamed Japan for the tremendous devastation that occurred in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. It claims that the magnitude of the tsunami was underestimated at Fukushima since the earthquake that struck in July of 2007 was so disastrous. This seems to be asking quite a lot out of a country that is still recovering from their last crisis. It also addresses the point that Japan’s location is so susceptible to tsunamis and earthquakes because it is surrounded by tectonic plates that frequently clash. However, no matter how prepared a country is for an earthquake, they can never be completely ready for a disaster of this level. Imagine if Japan evacuated their cities every time a serious crisis had the potential to take place. This could cause the country to go into debt, and most of its citizens would probably permanently leave to avoid the chaos. Obviously, Japan did not want another tragedy to strike, and am shocked by the way we can so easily put the blame on them.

Should Japan have better prepared for the possibility of another earthquake and tsunami? Yes, they probably should have. But rather than criticizing them and focusing on their past mistakes, it’s time for us to not make a mistake of our own. We should help Japan in their time of need. Pointing the finger at them for their mistakes will not help their country recover from this disaster any faster.  

--Nicole 

Picture: "Official: Quake, tsunami could cost Japan $300 billion." CNN World. Web. 2 Apr 2011.

<http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/31/japan.disaster.budget/index.html?hpt=T2>.

Article: Onishi, Norimitsu, and James Glanz. "Japan long overlooked nuclear risk of tsunami." News & Observer 27 Mar. 2011, Print.