Imagine the feelings of horror and helplessness you would suffer if you learned family members had been injured, perhaps even killed, in an accident thousands of miles away.

Now think how much your anxiety would be alleviated — eliminating it would be impossible, of course — if you knew people in that faraway land were doing all they could to help your loved ones.

Four tourists from China were killed and 26 others were injured, some very seriously, in a bus accident last week, just outside Bryce Canyon National Park. The Chinese tour group and that nation’s U.S. embassy sent personnel to help the victims.

That assistance — people from your own country, speaking your language and understanding your culture — is invaluable, of course.

But Utahns are compassionate people. We are always ready to help those in need, whatever the reason and no matter where they call home.

We have no doubt that to the best of their abilities, Utahns are doing all in their power to ease the pain suffered by those hurt in the accident, and to assist and console those who lost loved ones.

Human beings are much more alike than we are different. We have no doubt that were the situation reversed, people in China would be making every effort to help our loved ones.

We hope, then, that worried relatives and friends of the Chinese tourists have at least the comfort of knowing we in Utah want to help.

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