Can We Be Optimist?

In Liverpool, we got two T-shirts that have the phrase "Imagine peace" in many different languages,one for our son and one for a fried of ours who is acting for peace. When I was teaching at junior highs, I often read the phrases with students. "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one"
Is the world getting better?
When I handed a flier about the government and its politics a few days ago, a man said," I agree with the government. China and Korea are making a fool of us, Japan. We can't bear their underestimating us. We have to be strong, and the only way to show it is the military strength." He talked about the nations and the wars like a quarrel among the children. More people look to be thinking like them these days, and the fact scares me.
Another friend of ours who is acting in Okinawa says that he is givig canoe lesson to fight on the sea against the construction of new US military base and he is enjoying it. What an optimism!

How Free Are We?

It's rainy season now in Japan, and I struggle against weeds in my garden everyday. I don't know the reason why, but we have a pandemic of caterpillars this year. Whenever I find them on the leaves, I slaughter them mercilessly. Many of the trees especially azaleas were damaged. Roses are beautiful this year and it makes me happy.

The World Cup of soccer is now held In Brazil. I've heard that there were demonstraitions against it in Brazil evn just before the games. I wonder whether we can have the same kind of actions against Tokyo Olimpic Games. Probably NO. We are not free like them, I feel.

Surveillance Cameras Work, But...

My husband and I went on a tour to the UK last month. We enjoyed the beautiful fields with sheep, old stone houses, and flowers. And at the very last moment there, I was robbed my bag at the airport. The security gard of the airport called the police and soon two officers came along to me. Wow! Famous Scotlandyard!
The officers asked me many questions, made a documentM, and gave me a victim card. The officer's name and e-mal address, the steps how the investigation go, and where to access in emergency were on it. It also said that the police would report the result of the investigation in six days.
My bg was a cheap old one and it had nothing expensive except the electric dictionary. The cash I had in my wallet was only 20 pound. Poor thief! He must have been disappointed. Luckily I had my passport im my hand, and I could come back to Japan. And! To my surprise, I got an e-mail from Scotlandyard that they had arrested the thief after five days.
I have heard that there are surveillce cameras everywhere in the UK. The officers said they would check videos from cameras, and so they could identify the thief, I guess. Even in Japan, we are alwys watched by many eyes of cameras unknown to us. It is a little uncomfortable, isn't it?
Our tour conductor said that the UK is the best friend of the USA, and so they are aware they can be the biggedt target of the terror. Yes, the security check there was very close. After 9.11, the security of the airports in Japan also has changed.
When the USA declares that a person is a terrorist, they even go to another country and attack it. What is left must be just hate. Hate can be a cradle of terror. Endless hate and endless suspicion. It is sad.