Pain In Japan: As Earthquake Ravages The Land Of The Rising Sun, We Let Down One Of Our Trusted Allies...Aid Slow In Funneling Across The Pacific...

By PATRICK ALCATRAZ
Editor

McALLEN, Texas - There was a story in the local newspaper here about the radiation leaking from the earthquake-damaged nuclear plants in Japan that told of little - if any- possibility that the Rio Grande Valley would be affected by the dangerous fallout. It was a silly story, really nothing more than a laughable effort to localize a big story. Smalltown newspapers do that from time to time. In this case, experts have said the Japan problem will have neglible effect on this country.

But there is another aspect of this tragedy that grabs us a little deeper this morning: Why have Americans not opened their wallets to help an economic and trusted ally?

Reports say U.S. contributions to relief efforts have been woeful, much, much less than went to, for example, Haiti when it was leveled by its own quake. American Red Cross Officials say they have been perplexed and saddened by the lack of response, some even noting that perhaps Americans believe Japan is a wealthy, developed country that can handle its own catastrophe.

That may be so, but there is something wrong here.

We need Japan to remain strong in that part of the world, what with the crazy North Koreans and the distrustful Chinese next door. America needs to show Japan that it cares. What we've seen is the same uncaring, slow response we exhibited during the Bush Administration's cold handling of the Hurricane Katrina mess that crippled New Orleans. America is better than this.

We know our history, however. And we know that many Americans still harbor anger from Japan's alliance to Nazi Germany and Italy during World War II. Many Americans died when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. That's fine. But time has passed and Japan now stands as one of America's most staunch allies. It sent soldiers to Iraq when we invaded Saddam Hussein's country and it often responds vigorously to disasters such as the one that has killed thousands of its citizens in this case. I remember seeing Japanese rescue teams in Mexico City, when I, writing for The Houston Post, covered that city's massive 1985 earthquake that killed an untold number of people.

There has been nothing from Japan to indicate that we should not be helpful, that we should not be benevolent during its time of need. There are many other countries we help - and have helped - for many, many years whose allegiance to us is questionable. Japan has been there.

I, for one, believe that every dollar we offer Japan as our way of telling them we feel their pain is a dollar better spent than, say, sending it to corrupt Mexico or ungrateful Israel or two-faced Pakistan.

It's in how we treat our friends that our reputation is made.

Japan is suffering, and we're simply looking away...

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