The Fukushima 50: Not afraid to die

[cali]

Since the disaster struck in Japan, about 800 workers have been evacuated from the damaged nuclear complex in Fukushima. The radiation danger is that great.

However, CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod reports that a handful have stayed on the job, risking their lives, to try to save the lives of countless people they don't even know.

Although communication with the workers inside the nuclear plant is nearly impossible, a CBS News consultant spoke to a Japanese official who made contact with one of the 50 inside the control center.

The official said that his friend, one of the Fukushima 50, told him that he was not afraid to die, that that was his job.

Cham Dallas, who led teams responding to the Chernobyl disaster, said that kind of response is not out of the normal for some workers in the nuclear energy sector.

<snip>

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/15/eveningnews/main20043554.shtml

[Tatiana]

1. Those workers are true heroes.

I can't imagine the guts and fortitude it takes to make a sacrifice on that level.

God Bless them.

[Lyric]

2. They aren't risking their lives. They're sacrificing their lives.

They know it and we know it. It's incredibly brave, and possibly the most noble thing that most modern people will ever see. The media shouldn't use a lesser word than "sacrifice" to describe what these people are doing. They deserve better than that.

Edit: One more thing.

I don't think that they're unafraid to die. I think they're scared to death, and they're doing it ANYWAY because it needs to be done. There is no higher act of courage or greater expression of human love than that.

[madmax]

4. +1

[tavalon]

13. Courage is not the absence of fear

It is to continue to act with right action no matter how it feels inside. And these people are doing it in spades.

[localroger]

16. +arbitrarily_large_number

It's not that the workers are fearless; that suggestion cheapens their sacrifice. It is that they act past their fear. Radiation is an awful thing, in that it is assaulting you and destroying your body and you don't even know it, you feel no pain and have no instinct to move away and protect yourself. Anyone who works in high energy radiation environments knows the risk, and it is a truly terrifying thing to know that you might be getting killed and not even know to run from what is doing it. I agree that the 50 are heroes. I disagree that they are fearless. I think that makes them all the more heroic.

[madmax]

18. Your post requred that I change

risking to sacrifice. Thank you.

[madmax]

3. The humanity - they know they will die from this but,

they do for others. I hate to admit it but, I don't think I have the character or the balls.

Good vibes and love to those sacrificing their lives.

[tavalon]

10. You would be surprised, I think.

But I have to admit, having a child and being the main breadwinner in my family has changed my priorities - it used to be that I would have not thought it unreasonable for the needs of the many to outweigh the needs of this one. But, as a nurse, I do expose myself to a lot of danger for my patients. It's part of my advocacy for them and it's one of the best parts of my career. Keeping my little charges safe is what keeps me from burning out. OTOH, I'm going to start wearing a dosimeter at work. No reason to needlessly hurt myself.

[madmax]

17. By all means do so. Be safe.

Nurses are a special breed.

I trust a nurse over the white labcoat wearing 'God' any day. I speak from a horrendous personal experience that could have been worse, it was not thanks to a nurse. :hug:

[tekisui]

5. Incredible people.

I have no idea how I would react in a similar situation. I wold like to think I would be so brave and altruistic, but I also know myself and know I would want to run like the wind.

[Vehl]

6. another thread on this is already open I think

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x647915

[tavalon]

7. Some have said they will be the unsung heroes

Heroes, yes. Unsung, no. The Fukushima 50 will go down in history and will be considered heroes of the greatest order.

[cali]

8. they are incredibly brave. this isn't the quick shot of impulse

that has someone jump into save a drowning person- and I'm not knocking that at all, but this takes an amazing conscious determination that must last for hours and days.

I am in awe of these people.

[tavalon]

12. Me too

They are incredible. They are proving in every moment to be some of the best humans we have created on this earth of ours.

[Bigmack]

9. The Japanese have a sense of ...

....community that many of our fine 'Murikans lack.

Brave.. hell, this is beyond brave. Quick death ain't the worst that can happen to a person. Slow death by radiation... shiiiiiit.

I'm a racist... I spent a year in Japan, and I found them - as a group - some of the most admirable people on earth.

[localroger]

14. Community, diligence, and a bit of fatalism

And that last one isn't a knock; it's what allows them to get up after some of us would say, "My God, why in the fuck have you forsaken me? I'm just going to lie down and die now" and they just keep going as long as they can, because it's what their family and community requires. It's actually a natural human urge but one capitalism has all but purged from us in the US.

What happened to Japan in the course of losing WWII makes the worst case scenario for this thing look like small beer. They came back after having every single major city in their entire country burned to the ground, two of them nuked, and all the rest of it and in fifty years made themselves major allies of the people who had conquered them, stood tall in the global economy despite having fuck and a spitball for natural resources, and had managed to pretty much totally forget the whole WWII thing much to the chagrin of certain people like the Chinese, who would kind of like to keep some of it remembered.

They will put this past them too, even if it means there is a large "national park" that is uninhabitable around the complex. They will just deal with it. They've been dealing with bad things for longer than the United States has been a country.

[Bigmack]

27. Wow... you said it better than I did by a mile! nt

[roamer65]

11. If I don't get to meet them on this side...

I sincerely hope to meet and be amongst them in the afterlife. I would consider a great honor. They are laying down their lives to try to save the rest of us.

[xchrom]

15. Amazing. Nt

[Lone_Star_Dem]

19. Is it still 50 or 48

Two people are missing following the explosion at Fukushima #4.

[krawhitham]

20. Most likely they are already dead men walking, They continue now for family & country

[Lorien]

23. Men and women. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. I hadn't heard that. Have a link? n/t

[davekriss]

21. These are brave people

Reminds me of the bravery of firefightersracing up the twin towers on 9-11. It reminds me of the beautiful within the hearts of many special men and women. Hats off to them!

[Lorien]

22. So the Japanese are willing to sacrifice themselves for their fellow citizens

while Americans want to sacrifice their fellow citizens for themselves.

[cali]

24. what a silly comment

I'm willing to bet that if the same thing happened here, you'd find the same thing happened. You can't compare social/political behavior to this.

[denem]

28. Sorry. I heard a few firemen have sacrificed themselves

once or twice or was that countless times?

[Botany]

26. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.

Live long and prosper.

[Patiod]

29. The whole world is watching, and we salute them (nt)