Amid the Destruction are Lessons in Decency

While our hearts and prayers, and aid of a more tangible nature, go out to the people of Japan, we also have to give them our awe and respect. 

For the past couple of days, we have been riveted to our televisions and the images of the devastation caused by a huge earthquake and tremendous tsunami, particularly in the city of Sendai. We’ve seen the destruction to businesses, homes and industry. We’ve seen the bodies washing ashore and the injured being carted away. We’ve seen families crying and searching for missing loved ones.  And we’ve sat on the edge of our seats as the engineers desperately try to contain the reactors at damaged nuclear power plants.

But you know what we haven’t seen? Looting.  Rioting.  Disorder of any kind. Why not? Because the Japanese people do not believe in it!

Could you imagine an American city beginning an organized evacuation only 5 or 10 minutes after the initial alert? Where police can focus on helping people instead of having to enforce the law, keep order or prevent people from taking advantage of a situation?

Let’s face it. The Japanese people have a much stronger sense of community than we do. I am certainly not saying that we are all self-centered. We certainly come together in times of great need and we are very generous with our time, energy and possessions when others are hurting.

But one of the images that still haunts me from the days of Hurricane Katrina is the crowds of people raiding a department store and walking out with plasma television sets, gigantic stereo systems and other high-end electronics (all useless because there was no power, mind you). Worse, they were laughing the whole time they were doing it.

This kind of thing is unheard of in Japan. Their cultural teachings are dominant even in the face of disaster. I strive to be as selfless and community focused as they are. I think we have a lot to learn.

CNN’s Marnie Hunter posted an interesting article about the differences between us. Check it out.

Meanwhile, find out how we can help our friends in the Far East.