How can we persuade people around you who are threatened by—but trying not to face—the brutal reality?
The issue of the national distribution of radioactively contaminated debris currently opposed by residents in Shimada-shi (Shizuoka Pref.) revealed Minister Hosono’s adamant egoism. Mr.Hosono’s pressure on Shimada-shi to accept the contaminated Fukushima debris despite the protest is illogical and emotional. Mr. Hosono seems to try so hard to defeat the protest of Shimada-shi’s citizens so that he can break through the protest of nuclear waste distribution all over Japan. Mr. Hosono does not appear concerned with the life-threatening danger and unrecoverable contamination from nuclear waste incineration. Ignorant volunteers who are misled by the media and the government are now volunteering to clean up the contaminated areas without proper equipment or even wearing a respirator. And these ignorant people are the ones who would like to accept nuclear waste all over Japan, believing that is to “help” Fukushima and Tohoku. We have to continuously oppose this kind of craziness and insanity based on ignorance. (As common sense, nuclear waste should be handled with utmost care and never should be burned to prevent the escape of contaminated byproducts.)
【Voluntary Soil contamination test among civilians】
1. Shugakuin, Kyoto – private vegetable field 10cm from the field. Cesium137 3.5Bq/Kg
2. Mishima station area, Shizuoka pref. Cesium(total) 40Bq/kg Strontium90 2Bq/kg
It is daunting that the Strontium Cesium ratio is 1:20. We should be aware that wherever Cesium is, Strontium often exists in an appriximately 1/20 ratio.
I just finished a presentation (regarding the danger of radiation and the recommendation to evacuate) in Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo. I was very alarmed by the responses of the people. They seemed so relaxed despite of the high level of contamination in Toyosu, where there is a large trash incinerator. Toyosu is in the Tokyo bay area about 250km away from Fukushima, near central Tokyo.
They came all the way on Christmas Sunday to listen to an unpleasant presentation about where they live. Therefore I suppose they feel alarmed—but on the contrary, they seemed so relaxed. (Tokyo already accepted nuclear debris and started incinerating in Toyosu, using the incinerated material as landfill in Tokyo bay adjacent to it.)
Even in Hyogo Prefecture, which has not yet accepted nuclear debris and is 600km away from Fukushima, I felt very intense, alarming responses from audience. So I was a little puzzled.
A mother came to talk to me after the presentation and told me that she is starting to feel sick and have lumps in her body. She says she was told it is not cancer and is so relieved. I was confused. Of course it is great that it is NOT cancer. But something that should not happen is happening to her and her children. Yet she seemed she did not want to face that “something strange” is happening to her. This is the second time I felt this way (puzzled). First was in Kashiwa, Chiba, which is also a “hot spot” in the Kanto area near Tokyo.
They came to talk to me as they are worried, but they seem not to face it or deal with it. It really worries me.
Another woman just kept sobbing while she was talking to me. All I could do was listen to her. She said “I am also puzzled by the weird atmosphere in Kashiwa” (where she lives and a “hot spot”). “I would like to evacuate but I cannot, as I am trapped in the community. Sometimes I just have to admit I cannot even think of what is going on.” She is also experiencing strange symptoms in her body and feeling very scared, but whenever she thinks how difficult it is to evacuate in real life, she just does not want to face it. She is torn and confused between her instinct telling her something wrong is happening and the weird atmosphere (nobody seems to care) around her. That explained the reason of her crying.
I thought that was the key to the atmosphere at the presentation in Toyosu today that made me feel puzzled.
I think this incident could explain the nature of human beings. When the crisis is too big to accept for us, there are only very few people who can handle that issue and take action against it. Probably, though very cruel and sad to admit, most people do not know how to deal with too big issues happening to them.
When the contamination level is so high, they feel so threatened and obviously very scared. But most people cannot handle that crisis. Some people are mentally cornered, some just burst into tears and others have to control themselves through inconsistent and illogical thinking and talking. After all, they cannot—or try not to—face the reality, even though it directly affects their own and their children’s health.
I also contemplate: can a human being who dares to stay in a contaminated area stay as one’s normal self? It is widely known that radiation causes various neurological or mental damage. Quite simply, I doubt if people in contaminated areas 24/7 are able to keep their mental health.
Since my whole goal of this blog is to persuade people around me to evacuate from contaminated areas as soon as possible, this became an imminent issue for me recently: “Can we persuade or talk logically with people who began avoiding facing the reality?”. I suspect some percentage of people staying in Tokyo have similar issues. They might be caught in the same trap as people who are trapped in hot spots.
I have someone who is very special for me, still not leaving Tokyo. I tried hard to persuade her but in vain. She cannot answer my question why she dares to stay there. I begged her to leave and told her, “I am going to regret for the rest of my life if you are in any way hurt because of not evacuating and staying here any longer. I also will have to blame myself that I failed to persuade you”. She replied, “It is not your fault, so you have no reason to regret or blame yourself”.
There is no logical Q&A here. And I do not know how I can persuade her. It frustrates me and worries me so much.
I am sure many of you are having similar issues and feeling the same way. There is a wall between us and them. How can we break through this wall?
Maybe we need more people who voluntary evacuate. If more people go, others might follow.
Today on Christmas day, I am thinking and thinking how I can make her change her mind to make her leave from the area I think is not safe.
Anyone in a contaminated area (including the Tokyo area), especially children, pregnant women or women who may become pregnant, should evacuate to an area of less radioactive contamination. The top priority is to evacuate as soon as you can. Continuous radiation exposure should be avoided at all costs.
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