As the tragic events in Japan have unfolded in the last month, first the earthquake and then the subsequent nuclear crisis, it has been nearly impossible not to be fixated by the behavior of the Japanese citizens, and to compare their civilized and dignified composure to the reaction of Americans when we have faced a natural disaster.
I look at news coverage from Japan and see gentility and empathy between their citizens. Scenes show elderly Japanese being carried to safety piggy- back style by younger folks, as one might carry a child. People without basic necessities wait in line patiently until everyone has received his or her share of something as simple as clean drinking water. In one of the more amazing stories of selflessness coming out of this crisis, Japanese citizens in the quake zone are overwhelming their local police departments, not with requests for improved conditions for themselves, but rather to return items that they have found. Among these items: cash. People are literally turning in currency that they have found. When told that there was no identification with the notes, local police offer the finders a form to sign so that they may have the money if nobody claims it within 90 days. Not surprisingly, police report that very few sign the form. The money isn’t theirs, and if the rightful owner isn’t found, well, the government will be needing it in the rebuilding process.
Compare these scenes to the ones in the US following Hurricane Katrina. Recall the scenes of people openly looting not only stores, but the homes of private citizens forced to evacuate. Police firing on looters and looters firing back. Think back to those scenes outside the Superdome.
We can learn a great deal about a people when we examine how they handle adversity.
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