Bryan K. Ogawa <bkogawa@primenet.com> commented on Richard's revised story:

Interview

Thy Inward Love : Aftermath

by Richard Lawson

The photographer indicates his readiness.  We make our way along the path

around 

the pen to the front door.  I have to admit to myself that I just a little 
nervous.  Part of it is that this is the first major story I've been

assigned 

from the editors at People magazine - due mostly to my fluency in Japanese.  

While it doesn't matter as much here, I think this article seems more like
something that'd appear in _Life_ or _Time_ or _Newsweek_ than people.
Actually, this isn't the place that it matters.  The article on "Magic:
The Reality" is the one that'd fit much better in one of those three
magazines.  (However:  doesn't _People_ focus on entertainment and
cultural figures)  It matters more in the other one.  However, the title
is good.

My mom *subscribes* to People magazine. <g>   They do quite a few human
interest stories, and IMO a story about the "Savior of the World," with
photos of her homelife, would fit well with their format.  As for "Magic:
The Reality," I think that would depend on the slant put on the story.  If
it was a bit on the sensational side, it would quite definitely fit in
People (IMO always :)

Both of their faces cloud over, as do most everyone's at the memory of those
days.  Akari speaks softly, sadly.  "It was very hard.  We had good friends
who could make sure we were safe from economic hardship.  We were less 
concerned about that than we were about what kind of world our children 
would grow up in.  If they were allowed to grow up at all."

The last sentence is jarring to me -- why would they NOT be allowed to
grow up?

Because they're dead of starvation?

Remember (and this is NOT meant as a criticism!), it was only a year or two
ago that Japan was having a major rice shortage.  Rice, as we all know, is
one of *the* staple foods there.  Many countries volunteered to send rice to
Japan to ease the shortage.  The Japanese government declined.  From
speaking to someone very familiar with the thoughts of Japanese people about
this situation, the reason was, apparently, along the lines of "if it wasn't
grown in Japan it isn't good enough for us to eat."  As I understand it,
many, if not most, Japanese people are particular in the extreme with how
their foodstuffs are grown/prepared, and if things aren't just *so*, they
won't eat it.  (remember, this is NOT meant as a criticism!  This is just
how I understood what I was told by a person who knows quite a bit about the
Japanese mindset about that particular situation)

Getting back to the story, if there is no home-grown, home-raised food, and
the people refuse to eat food from the outside, we get into a starvation
situation.  And when we get into that situation, we get those riots and
chaos you were talking about.  And from there, who knows what would happen
to little kids.




Jeanne Hedge
http://www.accsyst.com/jhedge/main.htm

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