Originally Posted By Mr X Now that I have your attention, consider this... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minamisanriku,_Miyagi" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M...,_Miyagi</a> "After 95 percent of the town was destroyed by the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, only the tallest buildings remain and an estimated 9,500 people are missing, roughly half the population." And this is not the only community that has been utterly destroyed in the past few days. The news is still coming in, and it is horrible and unthinkable to say the least. I can't begin to explain how wrecked Japan is right now, most people I've talked to can't even begin to explain their emotions, myself included. Let's not worry about amusement parks for a while, okay?
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub that has actually been in my thoughts during the night.This morn awakening in the midwest to another gloomy day I thought to myself this has been the winter that will never end. Prepare your family for even worse reality. I am so sorry. On a positive note that headline can be a good starting point for that burst of creative energy your mind possesses.
Originally Posted By Malin Thanks for pulling back and pointing out just how tragic the current situation for Japan actually is at this precise moment Mr X. While I have commented plenty about the Resort in the past couple of days. Its only because we have had so many post's from people speculating on its damage and when it could possibly reopen. The reality is that OLC are working hard to get the park open again. And it simply can't afford to have the Resort closed for months. Its simply not going to to be an option. So Mr X is right that we should be more concerned about the worst hit areas. I have just heard some fantasic news that the Rescue teams sent over from places like the United States and Great Britain have been given clearance to move out to the worst hit areas. These guys had originally been held back from moving into the area. I believe its a team of 200 of the finest Rescue workers sent by other countries that are here to help rescue people. That will give the current Japanese Rescue teams a big boost in man power and help them out. As Rescue teams race around the clock to save life's. While the situation doesn't look great. We need to start viewing the recovery efforts in a more positive way when we can. Try and help to give hope to so many who have been affected by both the Earthquake and Tsunami.
Originally Posted By Malin Sky News has a Ian Hore-Lacy from the World Nuclear Association on the air right now. He is praising the work done in controling the Nuclear crisis. I think the threat of a full meltdown is being greatly exaggerated by the media. The Japanese Govement is right however to evacuate and warn its people of the risk involved. I really hope the media hype around the Nuclear Plant does calm down. Its putting unnecessary fear right now in the minds of so many millions. Where the real story is the effect the Tsunami has had on human life. Just watching a very sad video of a woman looking though the rubble looking for her missing Mother. She has no idea where the remains of her house are situated since the Tsunami moved the entire town several feet. But did pick up some curtains which she thinks belong to her Mother's House.
Originally Posted By fkurucz My mom and siblings lived in Mexico City when the big Earthquake hit in 1985, which was an 8.1 We were unable to communicate with them for over a week as most telecom was knocked out. I later learned that their part of town was not affected by the quake and their house suffered no damage as they lived out in the suburbs in newer construction. My late grandfather also was living in Mexico City at the time, in an apartment in a central part of town. He was in bed and shaken awake by the earthquake. He waited for it to stop then rolled over and went back to sleep. When he got up later he looked out his window and saw that every apartment building across the street (10 stories or taller) had collapsed.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 Perspective is a hard thing for many people, X. If you haven't lived thru something like that, then you naturally gravitate toward doing anything that gets you back to feeling normal ... and that things aren't quite so bad. I think that's why folks, especially here, are interested in TDR reopening ... but I'd guess it could come off as cold and in very bad taste to people still dealing with the disaster, which isn't something that ended when the waves stopped and the shaking lessened. I just can't comprehend the magnitude of having these towns simply disappearing ... it's really mindboggling. And, FWIW, I don't think most people in the USA or Europe would be handling this with the ... I dunno ... grace is the word that comes to mind ... that people in Japan are.
Originally Posted By joe80x86 I definitely pray for all those involved and some of the speculation is silly and perhaps tasteless however TDR reopening is important. How many thousands of jobs does it provide even indirectly? As someone who has lived through 3 hurricanes here in FL 2 of which came ashore a few miles from my house (but do pale in comparison to this), being able to go to work to pay the bills, put food on the table (MREs are really bad!), and gas in the car might have seemed silly when one looked at the gutted house down the street but it was required to sustain our own lives and health. Not everyone sustains the same level of damage in a disaster, and those who can need to be able to get back to work as quickly as possible so the economy can keep moving and does not collapse. And even those who have sustained damage will need that next paycheck to buy food, replace clothing, pay insurance deductibles, etc. It's not just about the entertainment provided, it's also about the jobs, rebuilding, and life getting back to normal (though it will be a new normal).
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "but I'd guess it could come off as cold and in very bad taste to people still dealing with the disaster, which isn't something that ended when the waves stopped and the shaking lessened." What else should remain closed out of respect? Video game stores? Movie theaters? Baseball stadiums? The Tokyo Stock Exchange? Why should anyone be trading stocks, those heartless souls. People are actually going to make money off this tragedy by investing in those firms tasked with cleanup and rebuilding. Shut it all down. It's like saying Disneyland should close for a week because of the Loma Prieta quake. It's like saying Walt Disney World should shut down because of Hurricane Katrina. Someone, somewhere is suffering, but the show must go on.
Originally Posted By KatieKate123 Totally disagree Spirit of 74. When 9/11 happened (not exactly the same but still a very bad thing) America came together, and spent hours helping eachother out. Also everyone was very nice to one another for a long time, though everyone was in shock we all did pull together to accomplish something good out of a tragedy. I also agree with joe 80X86 you def need something that huge to reopen to keep your economy ok.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 "Totally disagree Spirit of 74. When 9/11 happened (not exactly the same but still a very bad thing) America came together, and spent hours helping eachother out. Also everyone was very nice to one another for a long time, though everyone was in shock we all did pull together to accomplish something good out of a tragedy. I also agree with joe 80X86 you def need something that huge to reopen to keep your economy ok." I can vouch for this, as I was a few blocks away from the towers on 9/11. The level of civility and compassion was amazing. No fighting, no panicking (other than running from debris), and everyone was trying to help each other. So, during the immediate crisis, New York stepped up. So far, the Japanese seem to be doing the same as a nation. So much devastation and it will take years to recover from this.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder I just can't imagine the economy of Japan is so dependent on TDR that they need to hurry to re-open. Moreover, as has been said elsewhere, until they get the nuclear issues under control and the aftershocks subside, which so far they haven't, it simply isn't safe and/or prudent to re-open.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 Well, TDR has said officially that they will not reopen until March 21st, and even then, it's only to announce plans for when they will actually reopen.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I know this sounds cold but I don't care how it sounds. What would keeping TDL closed do to help those that lost so much. Absolutely nothing, being closed will not bring back lost loved ones or repair damaged buildings, or anything else, for that matter. If having it open might lead some to believe that they will get through this, and things will return to normal then it would have been a good thing. Nothing like pulling folks out of the rubble but they aren't trained to do that anyway. Having it open can act...just like SNL did, as a signal that OK, this really was crap, but we will recover and we will be alive and moving forward. Closing it seems like a nice gesture but unless closing it accomplishes something heroic, the the best thing they can do is remain there. Remain available to those that can get there as a message that things will indeed be returned to there proper place.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 UGH!!! My point here wasn't that TDR should be closed 'out of respect' or anything such as that. I think it should open when opening is reasonable in the local area. And, frankly, the only people who can make that call are the people in the Tokyo area ... not people living on the other side of the planet getting bits of news from various sources and making their own judgment calls. I'd also be wary of taking anything the media says as fact these when people often run with stories before fact-checking. In the USA, both NPR and CNN reported that Rep. Giffords was dead back in January when she was shot. Following the quake, numerous major media outlets in Japan were reporting that the TDR parking structure had been 'obliterated' (which naturally made me think many people had been killed there when nothing could have been further from the truth). I'm all for returning to a sense of normalcy in Tokyo (whatever exactly that means) when the conditions there would allow for it, be it in days, weeks or months.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Closing it seems like a nice gesture<< There are times when "business as usual" doesn't make sense. When a nation is mourning and recovering from the level of devastation Japan is now suffering through, taking some time out from the normal routine is prudent and healthy. And beyond being a nice gesture, there are, I'm sure, a million things to check to make sure the park is safe to reopen. Transportation issues. Energy issues. The ability of employees to get to and from the parks, supplying the shops and restaurants and hotels, etc. And there's the very real likelihood that people are not exactly in the mood to go to a theme park at the moment anyway. I get what you're saying about life going on and returning to normalcy as part of the healing, but it's only been a few days since the quake and tsunamis hit. And to Mr. X's point, it seems way down on the list of priorities for Japan right now. Indeed, it will be symbolic when the parks reopen, as well as when rebuilding in the north begins. But it's going to take time, much more than a few days' time.
Originally Posted By danyoung > In the USA, both NPR and CNN reported that Rep. Giffords was dead back in January when she was shot.< Not that it matters much, but I was watching CNN back then when this happened, and they most definitely did NOT say she was dead. They said that they were hearing unconfirmed reports that she was dead. Totally different thing.
Originally Posted By Longhorn12 >Totally disagree Spirit of 74. When 9/11 happened (not exactly the same but still a very bad thing) America came together, and spent hours helping eachother out. Also everyone was very nice to one another for a long time, though everyone was in shock we all did pull together to accomplish something good out of a tragedy.< I think that's a horrible comparison for the tsunami/earthquake. A better one perhaps is Katrina. And we all know how that went.
Originally Posted By Manfried The tragedy that struck Japan is still unfolding. I think the focus should be on getting a handle on the bad things still happening, helping the survivors, and mourning the lost ones. Then begin the rebuilding. Hopes and prayers to all there.
Originally Posted By Witches of Morva ORDDU: We are continually thinking of you, Mr. X, duckling. And we agree with the sentiment of your posts. Theme parks take a lessor priority in the face of such disasters. As Spirit of 74 said, when the time is right...
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "I just can't imagine the economy of Japan is so dependent on TDR that they need to hurry to re-open." Japan's economy is not dependent on any one thing, of course. Few economies are. However, I wouldn't recommended that businesses close simply out of a well-meaning desire to show respect. When it is safe and practical to do so, all businesses should reopen.
