Thursday, September 08, 2005

i've been quiet, but WTF

it's bad enough gobbling up every latest detail about the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. it was definitely hard to fully enjoy vacation knowing that thousands of others don't even know when their next meal may be and didn't have a place to sleep. and it's personally terrifying to imagine that the baby brother would have been in the area had he not transferred to a new school. his new city was also affected, but they managed to get to a friend's house in florida during the brunt of the storm. not everyone was so blessed.

so many sides of this situation are absolutely mind boggling. especially the monsters that desperation has turned people into. it reminds me of Blindness by Jose Saramago -- well written and captivating, however during the time i read it, i was jumpy, sullen and distressed by what the characters were capable of. and that was fiction.

the relief efforts are wonderful; it's awesome that people are coming together to help. but shouldn't that kind of unity be expected? Homer mentions a comment the mother of the president made about the situation. Barbara Bush is pleased about the help people who have come to her state have been getting, but her way of saying it just makes it all the more apparent that people of privilege really don't understand much about how the other classes live. maybe those comments were blown out of proportion, but here's a woman married to and mothering leaders and used to being in the spotlight.

maybe if people put more effort into doing instead of saying, it'd make more of a difference.

9 comments:

neena maiya (guyana gyal) said...

Disasters bring immense suffering. I can't take it all in.

So I say nothing, and think only of how to help.

Unknown said...

everyone in the govn't is just a selfish bastard- all they think of is promoting their "career"

M @ LiveLikeYoureTraveling.com said...

I cant stand how they keep talking about the american compassion... and the spirit of the Americans helping each other.

I MEAN what happened to just the compassion of PEOPLE??? how annoying it's so american focused. BLAH BLAH BLAH the american f*ng spirit.

and cadiz like you were saying, it is sort of EXPECTED. What else can you do? just watch?

but there is an amazing amount of "desperation" by the people down there. I mean looting for protective clothing and food is one thing, but stealing from each other is another. There are all kinds of stories where people cut in lines and take from others who have been waiting just as long... "as a means of survival"...

And i cant stand all the finger pointing...

M @ LiveLikeYoureTraveling.com said...

Btw cadiz i totally feel you on the enjoying ourselves out here. I mean i was home last night, thinkgin about how i have all the electricity i would need... etc... here I am continually improving my home base and yet so many out there.... barely have a porch to even stay alive in.

during 911, all the people died...
this is much more complicated. Can you imagine losing your child in all of this? what methods to even track them down in the midst of no computers no phones...?

omar said...

Wow, I hadn't seen that Barbara Bush quote. That's horrible.

M @ LiveLikeYoureTraveling.com said...

Wasn't it the original Bush that said of the poor in Africa, in terms of solving their survival "why don't they just work harder?"

lucasjackson7 said...

cadiz, i completely agree with you. the average yearly income of the individuals out by the Convention Center was under $10,000 dollars. Most of those individuals use public transportation in the city. There are 200 school buses that are used for mandatory evacuations, but they waited too late and the buses are under water and of no use to the stranded citizens of New Orleans. I've always felt the politicians on the local, state, and federal levels were crooked and that this tragedy exposed their true colors.

sorry for the somber note, but I hope your vacation went well otherwise.

Anonymous said...

as we all know... more people do talk the talk and walk the walk................ unfortunately..

piu piu said...

theres too much to say. i agree with guyana. and fingers are being pointed for good reason. if only people could learn from mistakes, instead of continuing to propogate them.....