Thursday, December 30, 2004

The Tsunami

Although this weblog is mostly political, at least for now, I would be remiss if I neglected to address the horrendous tragedy of the recent disaster. The loss of life, the levels of destruction as a result of the tsunami are staggering. The incident also serves as a reminder that natural disaster can occur anywhere (meaning, here). It's not something that one can "be ready for." You can have a house full of supplies in preparation for disaster, but that only helps if all goes according to plan, which natural disasters rarely do.

Life is a calculated risk. To be alive is to be subject to the forces of nature. To be human is to have compassion toward those against whom those forces seem insurmountable. Our hope is that the worst is over. Most of us will offer what help we can. And life on this tempestuous planet will keep struggling onward... in spite of the risk.

P.S.: Amazing though, isn't it, how life seems all at once to be so delicately fragile, and at the same time tenaciously adaptable?

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