Pain, Empathy and Worry

[misscam]

We've decided to do without fireworks this year and instead give the money to the aid effort. If you can, I encourage you all to make a contribution to the aid effort for the devestation caused by the tsunami. The death toll is staggering and help is desperately needed.

Saphie has some information on how to donate for Americans. CNN has a list of links to aid organisations here. Your local newspapers should probably have information on how to donate in your area. If you can, help out.

The scale is just unimaginable. So many dead it's just painful to watch. There is a point where empathy just becomes pain and I think I've reached that. There's this hard lump in my chest where my heart is. I cannot even imagine how people in those countries directly hit are feeling. I know only how I feel.

Most Europeans missing are Scandinavians.

This could be the worst disaster for my little country since the war as well as for Scandinavia. And my country owns a large chunk of my heart so when it bleeds, I bleed. I got one guy missing in my neighbourhood that I know of. I keep worrying people I know have gone there without me knowing, but so far I haven't heard of any.

In other, semi-related news:
Bush gets his panties in a twist

Comments

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

Is it bad if the second thing I thought after hearing about the tsunami was, "Yet another reason I hate the decision to go to war in Iraq -- the money would have been better spent on this?" I'm not one who likes the idea of telling people or countries "You must donate to this cause and that one if you want me to think you're really that good, you stingy, greedy bastards!" because that demeans what help they do give (it doesn't mean as much if they don't decide to do it on their own, I mean), but still, money is money and help is help. Hrmm. :\

Thanks for the passing the links along.

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

*thinks, then clarifies* -- I should probably say I'm not one for demanding that other people donate, and not looking down on them for not. Telling them, urging them, not letting something out of their minds (within reasonable bounds of action) is good to do, though, as long as nastier forms of finger pointing is kept at a minimum, and charity isn't reduced to taking money from people who didn't agree to give. Otherwise, help is help and money is money -- best to use it where it's needed rather than complain.

Bah. This writing major needs to learn how to use written words better. Or better yet, back them up.

*shuts up here and goes to blabber about these links to her favorite message board instead*

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Sometimes though, the rich countries need to get smacked upside the head a bit to remind them to give mone. Most tend to be willing to give, but they just don't think of it.

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

True. Well, as long as the finger-pointer is putting as much money (percentage-wise, or work, if they can't give as much money) in as the finger-pointee... (Luckily most people I've been witnessing online today don't need the "Quit being a greedy bastard" implication to donate now. Just "NO $5 isn't too small -- every little bit helps!")

Ugh, what I think needs to be smacked upside the head -- apparently when the death toll was "only" about 3,000, ABC news or someplace was paying more attention to "Boo-hoo, Americans in Maldives have their vacations ruined and are stuck in airports." *bangs head on wall* >_<

[misscam.livejournal.com]

It did take a while before we understood the scale of this catastrophe, though. I mean, the Swedish government went out early on and sad hardly any Swedes were affected. Then it turned out they had over 1,000 missing and it's now feared most of them are dead. We didn't really realise until two days ago how many we were missing. So in the initial reaction, I think we can forgive that some didn't realise just how bad it is. What you do when you do realise this is what matters.

[sinneahtes.livejournal.com]

*after a MUCH needed nap*

Yeah, to me, 3,000 people is more than a large enough scale, but... I guess I can't make that call for everyone. Some people would call *me* heartless for the way I react to tragedy when I know they're looking directly at me (I simply don't like the attention I get for emotional displays), and some would call me too bitchy or cynical or irrational when they read what I write (sometimes I just need the mental stimulation that comes from writing heatedly), I guess I can keep in mind.

Thanks for the sense-talking. I will be shutting up now. :)

*goes to see how her favorite message board's tsunami fundraiser is doing*

[mademoisellenon.livejournal.com]

I am watching the news and reading your entries but somehow it doesn't sink in what had happened. I was the same way when the Twin Towers came down...this shock...I am speechless. I know so many who lost someone and I really don't know what to say, none of us do.

My prayers are going out to you, hon! I know you're not a believer and I'm not particularly religious myself but it's times like these that make me pray as sad as it sounds.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

I don't think any of us have let it sink in yet. I can't even begin to understand it until I know how many of my people are actually gone.

[evilfen.livejournal.com]

I have donated here in Australia to the Medecins San Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and I have urged all my friends to donate to a charity too. It's just unimaginable.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Good choice.

[jocelyncs.livejournal.com]

Oh, Cammy, what a messed-up world this is, even the planet is messed up! That something like this could occur in one of the poorest regions of the world is just unfathomable.

I hope your country's visitors to the region make it home all right. One bit of hopeful news is that there do seem to be many tourists who survived the nightmare only to be cut off by power and phone and who will probably manage to make their way home as the aid effort goes on. With any luck, many of your citizens will be among them. Same for the Americans.

On the other hand, that leaves the locals as the ones bearing the brunt of the disaster. I can barely watch the news anymore.

The fireworks-skipping is a wonderful idea. I wish people over here would do that. Considering that the US recently spent another 89 billion dollars on the war, I am disgusted and heartily ashamed that 35 mill is all we've managed to approve to send so far.

Inauguration Day is the day after my birthday. (BUMMER!) But there's a protest planned that I shall be attending. Letting the slimeball know that many of us did NOT vote for him and that he better get his act together!

[misscam.livejournal.com]

I hope most of them are all right too, but it's been so many days now and the number of missing are still in the hundreds and most of them were in that worst-hit area... It all adds up to make me fear the worst. And even if they are well, there's all the other dead just piling up. It's always those with the least who loses the most, isn't it?

It's sad, I dodn't even have the energy to hiss at Bush.

[aervir.livejournal.com]

We've decided to do without fireworks this year and instead give the money to the aid effort.

I wish more people would make such a decision. I think about 150 million euro were spent in Germany for fireworks last year, and according to news reports, the catastrophe in South-East Asia is not going to affect the way in which my fellow citizens intend to spend their money. Of course, you can't force anyone to be charitable (doesn't quite agree with the definition of charity), but I would have expected a bit more empathy, especially considering the fact that at least 1,000 German visitors were killed, too.

[misscam.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It feels just out of place with massive fireworks displays in light of the losses. Part of our country is actually going for a minute's silence when the new year starts and the day after is official day of mourning.

But I guess for some it does feel too distant and they don't want to change already laid plans.