Hold on to what is good even if it is a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is a long way from here.
Hold on to life even when it is easier letting go.
Hold on to my hand even when I have gone away from you.
- Pueblo Blessing
Tuesday, Mar. 01, 2005 - 7:47 p.m.
WARNING!!!! if you know me personally, you may read my diary, but if you do, you take the chance of hearing things you don't want to know, misunderstanding what I've written and being hurt by it. If you are unsure if it is ok to read, save yourself and me the grief and heartache, and ask first!!! Please note that this is a DIARY, ie my subjective feelings, hearsay, suppositions, and outpourings of ranting of the moment. It does not represent objective news, the whole of what I think of a topic or someone, or even a thought-out representation of any of the above. Keep that in mind. Thanks. * Here is a Diary Etiquette Read Me.
Backward Repressed Countries
Youch!
Almost never have I linked to something like the article last night, and had only two comments. Though it was long to read it was fantastic. Utterly fantastic.
And no, I don't think it is "the result of a repressed society" that was backwards. Quite frankly I don't know that accidents at power plants are the domain of the defunct USSR. And quite recently I believe (my memory may be off, I heard it on the radio a while ago), it was shown that there was no difficulty getting into North American (sorry, I should google this... I am not sure if it was Canadian or US) power stations... so accident or attack, it could easily happen here.
What would people here do when a city is evacuated and all goods are left lying around? And nothing LOOKED wrong? Or when soldiers or firemen were contaminated? would it be impossible for their clothing or personal items to get out into their families? Would farmers in the countryside and people in trailer parks be willing to leave their crops? What would we do differently with radioactive contamination on the garlics and cabbages? Send it all to Utah? Who would do the digging?
Anyways, I had nightmares last night from reading that. Not a refreshing sleep... dreaming of feeling heat on body parts, locations that were "hot", contamination passing from hugging a person affected to the hugger, clothing and food contaminated...
People are people. If they are supposed to leave all behind, they won't. Some won't even leave themselves if they are told. Think of people in the US who wouldn't leave their homes that were threatened by landslides or fire. Imagine if you had to evacuate and couldn't take your animals, your toys, your photos of your grandparents or your heirlooms. Would you go with nothing. Would you not want to return and get things several years later? The problem with radioactivity is that it "looks ok". And it takes time to see effects and then it is too late.
The human mind doesn't like to react on things it cannot see or smell. Look how we all walk down the street or sit in traffic with the invisible smog from cars. But when one drives by with visible or smelly smoke we all react strongly. It is hard to think that your child wearing your cap could give it brain cancer in three years.
Like some of the soldiers said, at least in Afghanistan, if they came home in one piece and weren't shot there, they knew they were safe. But in Chernobyl they went and did the cleanup work and felt ok, and came home in one piece. It was later that they would die.
That totally fucks with human's reactions to danger.
Anyways, I think that first person accounts like that should be required reading.
cheers,
wenchie
Another entry later. tah!
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previous meanderings - future past
Goodbye Michael. May your next life be kinder to you. - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Taking Care of Your Cows - Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009
Saint Joseph robs the cradle and eats spaghetti - Sunday, Jun. 14, 2009
sticky notes and broken irises - Friday, Jun. 12, 2009
The FOODCOMMANDER - Monday, Jun. 08, 2009
