Japanese Show Grace & Altruism in the Face of Unspeakable Adversity in Aftermath of Earthquake & Tsunami with No Looting

What, no looting in Japan in the aftermath of the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami? They have shown the U.S. how to go through adversity with grace and dignity. Still, America isn't the only country that lawlessness rules the day in a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina or a court verdict, such as the slap on the wrist to former BART officer Johannes Mehserle in the shooting death of unarmed man Oscar Grant. One of my regular readers, who goes by the name Pelmo, raised this issue a few days ago and I had to think about it for a moment.

To be honest, it breaks my heart to watch the coverage of the earthquake and I can only imagine what the Japanese people are going through, particularly those directly affected by this massive earthquake and tsunami. Some parts of the country look like they went through World War II. No industrialized country since then has experienced devastation on such a massive scale, but it's probably the only one that handled it with such grace and humanity. Don't get me wrong, Americans opened their purses and wallets to the people of Indonesian, Haiti and other countries devastated by natural disasters. We did show we really care about others, but I can't get pass the fact that there are no reports of looting in pockets northeastern Japan.

Japan's technological strength is admired the world over, but we must also admire their social strength -- supermarkets cutting prices and everyone working together to survive. The U.S. isn't the only country in which looting takes place for various reasons. The absence of looting in Japan is quite unusual among human cultures as we know them. I guess the question I have to ask is why some cultures react to disaster so differently from others? You all saw what happened in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It gave the appearance of a Third World country. The same occurred in Haiti and Chile after earthquakes rocked both countries. Let's not forget the looting that occurred in England during the 2007 floods. Through this disaster, the Japanese have shown us that it's not about self, but everyone. It is an enviable trait to be able to displace altruism in the face of unspeakable adversity.

Some may unfairly blame looting on race but I think it's deeper. The Japanese people have surprised the Western world with how they conduct themselves even though desperation is creeping in on their every thought. Why is the lack of looting occurring in Japan and an eventuality in the U.S., France, England, Chile, Jamaica and other countries? Could the answer for the behavior of the Japanese be a part of their culture? Let's also be cognizant of the fact that there are blacks, Hispanic, Arabs and other ethnicities living in Japan, so I would venture to say this isn't a black or Hispanic thing. I emphatically reject any explanation of the propensity to loot in terms of race. The Japanese aren't above reproach. They have instances of atrocity in their history.