When disaster strikes, what are your first thoughts? When you hear on the news that nearly 80,000 people have been killed from a cyclone with a government who refuses to help its' own people...when you hear that 50,000 people have died in China from an earthquake and full schools full of children have been demolished....when the Tsunami in 2004 killed over 250,000 people and ruined the lives of millions... what do you think about?

Do you just think, "Wow, 50,000 people, that sucks"? I'm mostly referring to Americans here, INCLUDING myself, but I think that our culture is so used to hearing how many thousands of people have died in disasters, that we forget the reality of what it really means. Have you ever seen a deceased person right in front of you that died with no warning? Have you ever seen 50,000 people right in front of you who died with no warning? Can you imagine if that happened in the states? Americans, would you be sadder if those people that died were on our own home turf? If we had an earthquake that killed 100,000 people, would you think of it differently?

It's a natural reaction to love your country and to love the people in your country...but I believe we as Americans in particular take this to an extreme. I think we're so accustomed to not giving a rat's rear end about anyone else but us, that when we hear about how many thousands of people that have suddenly died there is a part of us that says "Whew, I'm glad it wasn't here!" Yet, when we see a Hollywood star die, we are moved to tears like it was our own family member. How selfish we are! How incredibly horrid of us to think of ourselves as any more worthy of life than those in China, India, Pakistan, and all the countries American's can't even spot on a map.

I myself am guilty of this, so I am calling myself out as well. I was disappointed with myself as I found out days later about the cyclone and the earthquake, and even forgot about it shortly thereafter till I was reminded again days later. It makes me feel very selfish...