All I got was this lousy T-shirt...
It is inevitable perhaps that there are those who will profit from the tsunami tragedy in a rather tasteless manner, giving the self righteous another arrow to hurtle at capitalism.
Oh, I'm not referring to the corruption and rip offs skimmed from the massive amounts of aid that are certain to be shock, shock, shock discovered in a few years or the bizarre religious/ethnic bigotry as to the cause that has already been expressed.
I'm thinking lower level souvenir stuff——t shirts emblazoned with waterlogged corpses, posters of the waves, videos depicting the destruction and more. Ash trays, drinking cups and rain globes are sure to follow.
Perhaps some just want a tangible item to grasp in the future when the horrors fade. And of course others just want to make a buck.
And maybe, just maybe, this seemingly macabre enterprise is a sign of hope——of the painful beginnings of economic and emotional recovery.
Let's hope so.
Ethel C. Fenig 1 18 05