Trying times test our politicians' mettle

07/20/2007

(mettle

IN BRIEF: Quality of endurance or courage.

It takes a lot of mettle to run in the Boston Marathon.

Tutor's tip: Don't "meddle" (to interfere) with him for he has a "mettle" (inherent character) of "metal" (opaque conductive substances such as iron, gold and silver) and was awarded a "medal" (decoration or award) for bravery.)

In the spring of 1997, then U.S. President Bill Clinton was on crutches as the result of a knee injury he suffered from slipping on some steps. One day, Clinton hobbled into the White House press room, unannounced. The unexpected appearance of the president on crutches, in lieu of his press secretary, sent ripples of tension among the reporters, who braced themselves for some sort of critical announcement.

Clinton said gravely, "My press secretary has also slipped on steps." In no time, the reporters realized it was April Fool's Day. As the press room erupted in laughter, the grinning press secretary made his entrance on crutches.

Farm minister Norihiko Akagi came to a news conference Tuesday with gauze pads covering his left cheek and brow. Asked what had happened, Akagi replied tersely, "Nothing serious. Don't worry. It's really nothing."

His flat refusal to discuss the matter made everyone all the more suspicious, given the cloud of suspicion he is already under since the discovery that he listed his family home as an office of his support group and claimed operating expenses for it.

Perhaps sensing he had better explain about his face, Akagi later issued a comment to the effect that he "probably had a rash" because of his "sensitive skin." But if that was the case, surely he could have just said so during the news conference.

Cabinet ministers should take each news conference seriously. Had Akagi handled the "mystery of the gauze pads" adroitly with wit and charm, he could have impacted public opinion. Instead, he only reinforced his image as a stubborn and introverted character. This was less a matter of accountability than his reflexive behavior and caliber as a politician.

There were only two gauze pads on Akagi's face, but at a scene of major disaster where gauze pads are needed in huge quantities, the true strength of politics and society is tested.

In the areas stricken by Monday's earthquake in Niigata Prefecture's Chuetsu region, several thousand people camped out at emergency shelters for three nights. It is said that the earliest these people will be able to move into temporary housing is August.

In this sweltering heat, it must be miserable to have to worry about the costs of demolishing their damaged homes. Their will to overcome the current predicament arises from their hope for the future.

This is exactly the sort of time when the caliber of politicians is being tested. While it is the job of administrative authorities to support quake victims in their daily lives, it is the duty of politicians to listen to these people's long-term needs, discuss them, and take action.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 19(IHT/Asahi: July 20,2007)

Gauze is a thin, translucent fabric with a loose open weave. Its name may derive etymologically from the Persian word for silk, via the Spanish word "gasa".

Uses and types

• Gauze was originally made of silk.
• When used in film and theatre, gauze is often fashioned into a scrim.
• Gauze is also made of cotton, especially for use in bandages. It is especially useful for dressing wounds where other fabrics might stick to the burn or laceration.
• Modern gauze is sometimes made of synthetic fibers, especially when used in clothing.
• Gauze can also be made of metal, such as a wire gauze placed on top of a Bunsen burner, used in a safety lamp, or used as fence.

gauze.

ガーゼ

━━ n. 紗(しゃ); 絽(ろ); ガーゼ; （細い）金網; 薄もや.