A Disaster of Biblical Proporations

I know I haven't said anything about Katrina. At first, I was merely trying to avoid knowing anything about it. All I knew early this week was that New Orleans and other gulf cities had endured some flooding. By Wednesday, I knew that the death toll was unreasonably high and that an entire city as we knew it has disappeared.

I feel helpless. Everyone around here is so engrossed in how the devastation is going to effect their ability to get cheap gas. Here's a little perspective for them: there are a lot of folks now who have neither homes nor cars - imagine how abundant that gas will be in two months!

I don't want to watch the live coverage that all the news channels are airing. I know that people who feel like they're balancing on a wire will rely on their gut instincts to get them through a crisis. Civilization isn't something that is innate in human beings - it's a learned behavior. We'll revert to some actions that may be considered dispicable when we're trying to protect ourselves and our families.

I don't condone snipers shooting at the doctors trying to evacuate sick patients from hospitals and the National Guard while trying to deliver food supplies. I don't condone the looting of jewelry, electronics, and other material goods. I must confess that if I were barefooted, starving, and up to my ankles in muddy water with a hungry baby on my hip I don't know how I'd behave. The animal in me would probably claw and snatch to feed my kid...but I don't know if I'd hurt anyone in the process.

It breaks my heart to think about those people my grandma's age who are being ignored in favor of the squeaky wheels making the most noise. It makes me sad to think of the children who haven't had their diapers changed in a couple of days. There are women in the Superdome being raped by morally bankrupt indiviuals.

While I do feel very small and like no matter what I do it'll be just a drop in the bucket, I have to do something.

I'll be donating as large a donation as I can afford to give to Red Cross for immediate needs. Next month I'll donate to some other cause to help some person start over and perhaps have some semblance of normalcy in their lives.

Please help all you can, or as much as you feel comfortable with. Perhaps you had planned to donate money to public radio or to your city's ballet this month. Why not invest it in life instead?

[some unconventional ways to help are in the extended entry]

(These links have been gingerly jacked from Mac - please feel free to post a link to some other ways to help.)

Hurricane Housing: Offer your home for temporary shelter for a family impacted by Katrina.

Coffee Cup Hurricane Aid: Helping to deliver comfort items to refugees

Jett Superior is collecting money to buy KayBee giftcards to refugee children

Posted by Tiffany at September 2, 2005 09:25 PM | TrackBack