I agree with you over the use of the word "suffer". Americans, as a whole, don't even know the meaning of it. The tragedy and ensuing crisis in Asia should motivate us to put things into perspective, however; we can't lose sight of what is happening here either and allow the left to further their agenda.
The parents (of the general school population) certainly deserve some credit for making an effort at a rational solution to this issue ... but as I said above, the Left won the war when they persuaded the majority of parents to turn in their kids for 13 years of taxpayer-funded warehousing.