Norman Mineta: “this morning, as billions of people around the world know, the cities of Kobe and Osaka in southern Japan were struck…”

“this morning, as billions of people around the world know, the cities of Kobe and Osaka in southern Japan were struck with a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake. As of noon today, Washington time, nearly 1,600 people were known dead, more than 1,000 were missing, and more than 6,000 were injured. No words are necessary beyond reading that toll to know that the family lives disrupted by this epic tragedy will never heal completely. And no words are necessary beyond reading this next tally to know that the tremendous physical damage will not soon be repaired: More than 4,000 buildings were destroyed this morning. Expressway and rail service has either been severed or disrupted in much of western Japan. Power and telecommunications systems have been cut. These people are now in crisis, and I know that Americans everywhere share in the sadness caused by this tragedy. We do so because of the suffering involved. And we do so out of a feeling of a deja vu that hits still closer to home. The sad irony of this earthquake in Japan is that this day also marks the 1-year anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake--a 6.7-magnitude quake which killed 61 people and caused 20 billion dollars' worth of damage in the Los Angeles area. The lesson we should be learning is that the forces of nature continue to strike at will.…”