Praying for Sichuan
Posted on May 14th, 2008 in World for the Week |
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Chinese province of Sichuan on Monday afternoon, with the epicenter at Wenchuan country. Death toll has risen over 14 000, and I expect it to hit 20 000 soon. I think the most devastating part about this whole ordeal is that thousands of children - both in elementary schools and high schools - were killed because school was still in session.
The end of this video from CNN made me cry. The reporter was interviewing the Party leader for one of the worst-hit counties. The guy has been running the rescue efforts for the entire area and seemed like a capable leader. When asked how many has died, he becomes emotional and the reporter tells us that the earthquake killed the guy’s parents, wife, and two children. “In the midst of his anguish, there is a call over his radio. He’s needed again, and he runs off — with apologies — to go back to work.” It’s amazing that a man who has lost everything still has the energy to save his community. Bless him.
I hate mixing politics into everything but it’s heart-wrenching to see individuals out there insisting on standing in opposition to China in all matters. So Prime Minister Wen went to Sichuan personally within 48 hours to reassure the people that help is on the way (pfft, what the hell did George Bush do after Hurricane Katrina?!). So HOW. DARE. PEOPLE. reprimand Wen from joining in all the relief efforts? FYI, the author apparently sees no reason for the PM to go there other than for propaganda purposes. Dude, Sichuan is not “thinly-populated”. The “small” county at the epicenter has 30 000 people. It takes a truly ignorant person to think that a 7.8 magnitude earthquake isn’t going to leave a mark. I think the author in question retracted words in a later post after I left a rather scathing comment. Bastards. Thins like this show the worst of people, and the best of people. This is an excerpt from an article by CNN’s John Vause, very powerful.
There is a Chinese adage: “Eat bitterness.” Or as Americans would say: “Grin and bear it.” The Chinese we saw practice that well. We’ve had some of the nicest people help us out. There was a guy who had a packet of cookies and wanted to share them, because we were reporting the quake story. (Source. All the wonderful comments below the article are also really inspirational and reflective of how people’s attitude have changed since CNN’s biased reports earlier this year)
They say after 72 hours, the chances of survival will be slim. My cousin has friends in Sichuan. I’m praying for their safety and the safety of hundreds of thousands trapped or out there bearing the cold. There are also ways we can help the relief efforts in both China and Myanmar.
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I'm Crystal, a Canadian who thinks she can take on the world simply by getting up each morning. They call me the caffeinated IBer wandering on the Internet. 
18 Responses
I am a Chinese student in New York. All I want to say to you after reading your post is: THANK YOU.
It’s really sad actually. Since those happenings, we’ve been having bad weather here. The winds are so scary that you can see the super tall tree behind the house bending to almost half its height!
It’s disgusting to see people still talking about politics when the earthquake has absolutely nothing to do with politics. There are civilians dying out there, men and women, old and young. Bless that men who lost his whole family but still tried his best to help…
I can’t believe people are still slapping political labels on things, when clearly, all the possible help and direction that they can get with the earthquake dilemma is needed and more! It’s in these times where we get to see the best and worst of humanity.
Reading those stories, looking at those pictures, and watching those videos have become a crying exercise for me.
At times like these, there’s no point in blaming people. It’s like someone getting into an accident and then someone else saying, “Ha! It’s that person’s fault for not being careful!” It’s just cruel.
Do you know anyone near the quakes? Fortunately for me, no one that my family knows lives in the area; the people who we know live in Sichuan had family quite a bit away from the unfortunate disaster.
Wow, talk about speaking before you think. I know the Chinese government doesn’t have a very good track record, but that blogger you linked to obviously didn’t have his facts straight.
I hope that the people you know in Sichuan are okay.
I am a teacher in an elementary school, so I thought the whole thing was really horrific and devastating. I can’t imagine what those people must be going through and how scared everyone must be or have been.
It’s really sad about so many people dying. But I guess with such a populated area, when disaster strikes, the result is horrendous.
i’m so shocked about this. i can’t believe the earthquake wasn’t predicted beforehand. i also pray that the victims are still alive and well D:
It truly is heartbreaking that thousands of lives have been taken. And in a time when calamity has struck, it is not wise to talk about politics. The main concern should be providing help and saving others. I pray for those in Myanmar and China.
Just because the disaster happened in China doesn’t mean it doesn’t warrant some humanitarian empathy for the people who perished in the earthquake, and their families as well.
I can see where this anti-Chinese sentiment is coming from, but it’s not appropriate to bring up when tens of thousands of people have obviously sufferred from a massive natural disaster.
Thanks you as a Chinese to the Chinese Sichuan earthquake’s attention :blush:
I agree, it’s just horrible! I feel so bad for the man who lost his entire family! :’(
The earth quake was devastating. We have no relatives in that area of China, but when my family heard the news, we were all shocked. That man who lost his entire family is a hero in my eyes, even though he has suffered so much, he’s doing his best to help others.
It’s also quite sad to think about all those children who were trapped underneath the destroyed schools.
Very well written. The earth quake was horrible, I was so shocked when I heard the news. It breaks my heart that so many people died, especially children who were still at school. That picture that you posted is so so sad
I hope things get better over there, and fast!
I hope your cousin’s friends are okay,every time I flip a channel I usually see at least one rescue,so even though the toll rises the survivors are still being found-it isn’t complety hopeless.
This is something really sad to be reminded of, and to be thinking of. I agree totally, because of that Tibet thing, people are still trying to bring politics in, and especially when they think just because China is Communist, that they have to fight against everything that China is doing. At least China is proactive, and trying to assist their own citizens. I saw on the news one day last week a mother crying in pain in the wake of her lost child. Unfortunately, most of these families in China has only one child due to the one child policy, and I saw as well how most of the deceased are children. Rebuilding life after a lost child is hard, I will be praying for China as well.