Amazing. This New York Times article details the unpleasant return home for the three Japanese citizens taken hostage in Iraq recently:

'You got what you deserve!' read one hand-written sign at the airport where they landed. 'You are Japan's shame,' another wrote on the Web site of one of the former hostages. They had 'caused trouble' for everybody. The government, not to be outdone, announced it would bill the former hostages $6,000 for air fare.

Put yourself in the shoes of Nahoko Takato. You travel to Iraq to help homeless children, go through a hellish hostage experience with madmen sticking knives in your face while taking videos of you, then you come home to realize your country is ashamed of you.

Damn. That's one vacation to just forget about.

I can see, possibly, a reaction of indifference towards the other two (who were journalists, and therefore, arguably if not in fact, "in it for themselves"). But this reaction to a woman who put her ass on the line for street children?

Does. Not. Compute.

  ¶ 2:26 PM