To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Is it just me...
or do these people sound like spoiled brats to you, too?
In a nutshell, this couple had been scuba diving when the tsunami hit, which probably saved their lives. Once they got to shore, they did what they could to help (a very good thing, indeed). They lost everything. They get to the airport, they can't find the US officials for three hours, and then found them in the VIP lounge (which is where the airport officials put them.) Since they had no documentation, they had to have new passports issued, and the officials demanded payment before they would take the passport photos (because the camera was acting up, so they were only using it for the truly desperate- if you had the cash, they wanted you to get your photos taken at another location).
Maybe I would feel differently if I had just been caught in a tsunami and lost all of my possessions. But I would like to think that I would have the presence of mind to remember that the region had just experienced the worst natural disaster in recent history, and things will not go smoothly. There will be problems. Being appalled because you had to pay for documentation and that the consulate officials were exactly where they were told to be just seems... childish.
In a nutshell, this couple had been scuba diving when the tsunami hit, which probably saved their lives. Once they got to shore, they did what they could to help (a very good thing, indeed). They lost everything. They get to the airport, they can't find the US officials for three hours, and then found them in the VIP lounge (which is where the airport officials put them.) Since they had no documentation, they had to have new passports issued, and the officials demanded payment before they would take the passport photos (because the camera was acting up, so they were only using it for the truly desperate- if you had the cash, they wanted you to get your photos taken at another location).
Maybe I would feel differently if I had just been caught in a tsunami and lost all of my possessions. But I would like to think that I would have the presence of mind to remember that the region had just experienced the worst natural disaster in recent history, and things will not go smoothly. There will be problems. Being appalled because you had to pay for documentation and that the consulate officials were exactly where they were told to be just seems... childish.
