Image Credit: The Associated Press

By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Coping with disaster not easy in a war zone

Feb 19, 2023 | 6:44 AM

WE ARE CONSTANTLY REMINDED of the horrors of 9/11. Three-thousand people died, and we feel the pain of that event all the time.

Fortunately, rescue crews were organized quickly, and recovery efforts were bolstered by thousands of professionals and volunteers alike. It was a great effort, and one where reminders are everywhere. A tribute, if you like, to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Halfway around the world, a scene is playing out that defies comprehension. A major earthquake on the border of Turkey and Syria has shown an ugly side that has me wondering how people have become so hateful as to let people literally die than offer and accept help.

In the vicinity of 40,000 people have been killed. Many died a slow death because of infighting. There was no real plan to search for survivors. Rescue crews were hampered every step of the way by bureaucracy.

It is, in essence, a war zone. Tensions are high. But there has been infighting even among branches of the same government over how to proceed, let alone the fighting and arguing between two governments who haven’t trusted each other for many years.

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: Current trends in the Kamloops property market

21h ago

Two and Out

PETERS: Lack of data doomed Eby government's decriminalization project

May 03, 2024

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: David Eby must scrap his failed decriminalization experiment

May 02, 2024

Western countries want to help, and have the expertise to save lives, but Syria doesn’t want help from their enemies. There’s even one group of insurgents who doesn’t want help from anyone.

I can’t imagine how people in authority can make those kinds of decisions. Maybe centuries of warfare and death have blinded them so they don’t notice.

The stories and pictures coming out of the area are bad enough, but to be there in person must be even worse.

To turn aside help in these tragic times is a form of terrorism all its own. But it’s questionable whether or not any lessons will be learned.

While the monument at Ground Zero is a lasting visual reminder of the heroic acts in dealing with events like 9/11, in a few years that rubble in the Middle East won’t even be noticed, and no one will remember how not trusting each other led to a humanitarian failure with terrible consequences.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

——

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.