Letters

Sea of Sorrow
When I began to read your tsunami report [Jan. 10], I immediately recoiled. I was angry that your photographs showed the faces of the dead, until I realized that my anger was a reaction to human suffering. Then I softened and opened my heart—and wept. I never again want to be unmoved by the suffering of another human being. Thank you for bringing the struggle and anguish of our brothers and sisters into our comfortable homes.
Scott Wyman
Chico, California, U.S.

Even though my wife and I were far away from the tsunami that devastated South Asia, we still felt a jolt, as our daughter, son-in-law and twin 2-year-old granddaughters were on the island of Phuket when the tsunami struck. Anxious hours passed before we learned they were safe. Tears not only of relief but also of sorrow were shed for the many parents who have little to rejoice about. The spontaneous generosity of those who are giving aid to tsunami victims has once again highlighted our common humanity. It contrasts sharply with the smallness of the terrorists, whose sole legacy for the world is hatred, destruction and death. Our praise goes to those who think of others, not just themselves.
Jon Ralph
Cape Town

The spontaneity and abundance of tsunami-relief aid from the world over are beyond my wildest dreams. That generosity reinforces the faith I've always had in the essential goodness of mankind. The media seem to emphasize only the evil and crookedness of people, as if good and kind gestures are not newsworthy. Evil acts are what get prominent coverage by the press.
Chandy John
Bangalore, India

Islamic radicals—especially those in Indonesia—who think it's cool to attack Western interests and die for their beliefs should seriously rethink their priorities. The people who are providing much of the aid to Indonesia's devastated Banda Aceh are not the Arabs with their petrodollars or Osama bin Laden with his inherited millions but the Australians, Germans, Japanese and Americans. To terrorist sympathizers and hard-line radicals in South Asia, I pose this question: Where are your terrorist friends when you need them most?
Tim F. Peters
Kuala Lumpur

Isn't it time to put in place global systems that can help minimize the disaster and casualties resulting from events like tsunamis? To that end, developed countries must work together for the sake of humanity and not their individual interests. There is no shortage of skills and resources throughout the world. And if we join together, the next tsunami will command only a small amount of press coverage.
Umesh C. Pandey
Sahibabad, India

The U.S. has a history of extending massive help when it is needed. A prime example is the Marshall Plan after World War II. The destruction caused by the tsunami requires a similar degree of extended help. We all hope that the U.S. can rediscover its postwar glory.
Mohinder Kumar Jain
New Delhi

The pictures in your special report on the tsunami said it all. What a colossal tragedy! The eastern coastline of India, long admired for its scenic beauty, is now feared for the ocean's potential fury. We are reminded of what Hindus call Pralaya—an overwhelming destruction and natural catastrophe. The only consolation, if you can call it that, is that another tsunami of similar magnitude is unlikely to occur in our lifetime.
Kizhanatham R. Srivarahan
Chennai, India

Rapid Reaction Required
I was appalled by President Bush's slow response to the tsunami disaster in South Asia [Jan. 10]. By waiting until three days after the event to make a public statement, he appeared cold and indifferent. Bush will be asking Congress to come up with billions of dollars this year for the Iraq war and related costs there and in Afghanistan. His initial pledge of $15 million in humanitarian aid was an insult. Only after days of criticism did he increase the pledge to $350 million. The U.S. is the wealthiest nation in the world, and generosity is our greatest virtue. Helping others in time of need is the right thing to do. It's the American way.
Rick Schreiner
San Marino, California, U.S.

Where Was God?
In the wake of the tsunami [Jan. 10], people everywhere have been asking themselves, If the Almighty is benevolent, loving and omnipotent, why does he allow misery on such a terrible scale? Ever since our universe was formed billions of years ago, powerful superhuman forces (earthquakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, etc.) have been at work. If people question why God allows such geophysical events to occur periodically, they should also question why he allows malaria, malnutrition and waterborne diseases to take millions of lives every year. We should not believe God will intervene in every cataclysmic event. That is tantamount to expecting the total elimination of all natural disasters, all risk, all danger and the instant banishment of poverty and sickness. That will happen in the world to come, but not now. In the meantime, we should mourn the dead, take sympathetic and appropriate action to help the victims and find ways to assist them in regaining their homes and livelihoods. One more thing: let's pray that those events do not occur too often.
Eli S. LeJeune
Reading, England

The Ongoing Iraq Disaster
The public outpouring of support for tsunami victims is impressive and admirable [Jan. 10]. But why are the deaths of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians met with silence or head-in-the-sand denial? While the media are preoccupied with feel-good, human-interest stories stemming from the tsunami catastrophe, the killing in Iraq continues. And unlike the tsunami, the death and destruction in Iraq were completely avoidable, as no defensible justification for the invasion has yet emerged. How can the compassion and empathy of the American people be so selective? Bush stated that the scale of the death and destruction in South Asia is "beyond comprehension." I suggest the President study more carefully the situation in Iraq, where thousands have also died.
Paul Murtaugh
Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.

Why the Poor Suffer More
In his essay "the class system of catastrophe" [Jan. 10], economist Jeffrey D. Sachs argued that "what the rich world suffers as hardships the poor world often suffers as mass death." That says it all. The U.S. has, with its wealth and abundant resources, the ability to lead the world in reaching out to those far less fortunate. Instead, over the years we have chosen to put our resources into military spending and most recently into a war that has become an enormous money pit. Perhaps if we had used our resources more wisely over the years we could have helped reduce the death and destruction caused by the tsunami.
Laura Geisel
Redondo Beach, California, U.S.

Tall Order for Abbas
In his "Letter from Gaza," Matt Rees referred to the "culture of waste and corruption that ruined the Palestinian economy under Arafat" [Jan. 10]. I don't think that ruin can be laid solely at Yasser Arafat's door. How about the brutal invasion of Palestinian towns and villages by the Israeli army that prevented travel, trade and education, and physically destroyed the Palestinian Authority? And what of the separation wall, which is destroying the livelihoods of many Palestinians by isolating them from their fields, towns and markets? I doubt that Mahmoud Abbas, Arafat's successor as President of the Palestinian Authority, will be able to arrive at a just settlement with the Israeli government, which is busy building and extending settlements on Palestinian land. The Palestinians may be in for even more disappointment and tragedy.
Mike Barnes
Watford, England