Tsunami

This being the first post of 2005, I wanted to take a moment to express my condolences to those killed by the tsunami that struck on 26 December of last year. It has been several weeks since that day, and it has caused me to think hard about things that we as people have made important. Nothing is more important than that of life. Of living. All those peple who were killed by that act of God (or allah or Buddha) were loved by someone. May they rest in peace.

Which brings me to what I believe ails this country. And that is the unequitable distribution of wealth. Call me a hypocrite, what you will, but it boggles my mind when people in this country go to the malls, buy Nike shoes (made in Indonesia) or Banana Republic clothing (made in Sri Lanka) for $60 $70, even $150 per garment, shoe, what have you, and not really realize who made these items of clothing. It is the same people who died in that rogue wave. That shirt on your back may have been sewn by a woman or child who was killed by that wave. Those shoes that you wear may have been fastened together by a man or woman or child killed by those waves. yet, they are no different than the rest of us, except that it would cost them a year's wages just to be able to buy the latest fad that we here in America buy like their is no tomorrow. While we have individuals all over the world donating $1 million and even $10 million, Banana Republic pledged $1 million and will match employee donations dollar for dollar. Banana Republic, a company that makes tens of millions if not hundreds of millions each year off the backs of some of the very people killed by that wave donates $1 million. Well at least Banana Republic donated. Nike has no mention of what, if anything it has done on its web site. Perhaps Nike put out a collection jar at each of its stores. Who knows. Point is, a huge portion of America's, if not the world's clothing is made in south Asia, and these companies that have factories in that part of the world had better give back to the community that makes them rich.

On the good of it, I have noticed collection jars at every store that I've been to since that fateful day, my sons' schools are also accepting donations for UNICEF, and despite all the tragedy that we had in California the last few weeks, with the mudslides that washed away a neighborhood, the tsunami aid still comes in and is collected. Surf Aid International, a group that has existed for several year in an effort to help innoculate Indonesians against malaria, has been working non stop sailing to the remotest hard hit islands in the Indonesian chain, helping where they can and where they are allowed. Billabong, a surf company, has dispatched a boat, the Asia, in an effort to bring relief to where it is needed. The fact is, most of the world ( I can't say much about the Arab countries) has stepped up in an effort to ease the suffering that continues to occur in South Asia. The only obstacles that remain are politics in those countries and the hijacking of aid. It has been said that a lot of aid in the form of hard goods is ending up in the hands of opportunists, who would rather sell the hard aid goods than give it away as intended. Hopefully those miscreants who take advantage of misery will answer to God, or allah in the near future.