Somehow, my heart lies below the waterline somewhere between
the Korean mainland and Jeju Island. I can't get the deaths out of my head of
the Korean high school students who perished on that ferry boat The ferry's captain was a coward who escaped
the ship in the first lifeboat. He never gave instructions on how to flee the
boat before escaping and saving himself. A crew member said they had never
practiced evacuating the ferry, so no one knew what to do.
There are 271 people missing, and certainly most, if not
all, are dead. If you've ever watched Korean TV you know that Jeju island is
the island of romance. I think of the teenagers who had never been kissed, but
probably had a crush on some fellow student. They will never grow up to experience
mature love. The girls will never hold their own children in their arms. The
guys who think they're losers, will never find out they have special qualities
that make them valuable to Korean society.
Before I was a
college professor I was a substitute teacher in K-12 to pay for graduate
school. I saw the yearning. the fears, the questions on the faces of my
students and felt for them. Because I believe God made us all the same, it's
not hard for me to connect with those that have perished in this horrendous
tragedy.
The sinking on Wednesday has many wondering why only one lifeboat
was available, with the 45 others locked up with chains. There is a special
spot in hell waiting for the ferry captain, but it will be of small comfort for
the parents who've had their hearts ripped apart.
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