The Middle East

I don't like talking about this issue but, there is something that I wanted to get off my chest.

There have been reports about many Lebanese-Canadians who are upset with how the government has responded to their need to evacuate. However, during such a crisis, finger-pointing and frustration are items that bring nothing but disaster.

I understand that these people are going through extreme hardship right now. I have never experienced this but I can tell you that I would not wish this on my worst enemy. Still, I wish that these civilians would focus on getting to Canada safely rather then bashing the government.

No one could have seen the violence escalate at such an alarming rate. I don't think any government, no matter how big or how rich, could plan for a "mass exodus" in only a few short days. Unfortunately, there is just no way that everyone (and we're talking about close to 40,000 people here) could be accommodated in a safe, satisfying and orderly manner. I'm surprised that people are surprised by the fact that some evacuees were not given proper conditions for long periods of time. I hate to say this but, I feel that some evacuees (but not all of them) were expecting a bit too much.

To be fair, I do feel that the government took too long to come up with a contingency plan. The French and U.S. governments already had plans by the start of the week while Canada did not come up with anything until a few days ago. Unfortunately, these type of situations need quick decisions.

Meanwhile, there is only one thing that will allow everyone involved to get through this mass evacuation: patience.

The Hek