'It's not fair,' says the Samoan

from w
When the parachute journalists and ambulance chasers leave Samoa the people still go on to pick up the pieces. I saw this photo on the internet the other day, and then again in today's Fiji Times and thought it impressive as if the woman is saying, 'I'm still standing....' On the TV news a senior Samoan gentleman was speaking and he said, 'It's not fair. I believe in God. I know these kind of things happen, but it's not fair to lose your family like this.' The stories of the earthquake and tsunami and loss in the two Samoas and the northern island of Tonga continue to be in the news, alongside other disasters such as in Sumatra. The emphasis in the news is so often death and destruction. Perhaps this is a reminder to think outside our comfort zone.

But do journalists over-do it and get in the way of the real work of reconstruction?

The best is that the knowledge provided by the media means that other people can emphathize and show some compassion by organising memorial services and collecting money and goods to send over to Samoa, Tonga, and other places in great need.