It is hard to believe how fortunate I am. I have a home, clothes, running water, food, electricity and a job. I know where all of my family members are and my pets are doing well. I shouldn’t be complaining about anything, when I think of how the folks in the gulf area are faring. Many of them are now hours and miles from what use to be their homes. Many of them will not be allowed, nor may they want to go back for months. There has been a lot of speculation about how quickly we got help to those in New Orleans. I believe we fell down in getting them a way out of the city before the storm. I believe we fell down in getting them evacuated quickly enough after Katrina, and I believe we failed in getting them aid, food, and water as well as medicines immediately following the crisis. Communication seems to be the “bogey man” here. Communication between agencies, between the government and the agencies was lacking, but not between the media and the victims and the public. We heard all about how little was being done. In some cases we heard news “reporters” (and I use the term loosely) whipping up the emotions of victims over not getting help or not being evacuated quickly. We really don’t need that kind of reporting, and I urge you to change stations when you begin hearing it. Better yet, get on the Internet and complain to the station. If they hear enough of us they WILL change things. Sensationalizing what is already the most sensational story for the nation this year is not necessary. It is irresponsible reporting. Katrina proved that we are not really prepared for a national emergency, probably of any kind if it concerns a few hundred thousand people or tens of thousands of square miles. This is a time when our legislators and government should work together to re-invent plans for large-scale national disasters. Who gets called first? What is most important to do first? Who is in charge? All of these questions went pretty much unanswered for several days last week, and it will be a long time before we hear the end of the questions and excuses. The world watched as we floundered in our response. Then the racial and socio-economic attitudes got marched right out and thrust into the mess, and suddenly everything that was already ugly, became even uglier. The bright spots in this tragedy are found in the churches. Virtually every T.V. station has reported on churches, large and small, reaching out into the community around them to house, feed, clothe, and generally help those that they could. Shipments of food and water in a 26 semi-truck convoy left one church’s headquarters in Missouri only the second day after the storm. Many churches have already collected and will continue to collect special offerings to be sent to charitable organizations for the victims. My church in Cold Spring is taking names of people who would be willing to go for one or two weeks to help with the clean-up and rebuilding. They will not go immediately probably, but they will be called upon to go in the next year. This will be a long-term problem. The solution will take a great many people. Maybe your skills could be used. Think about helping in a significant and life-changing way. If you don’t have somewhere else to volunteer, call the Red Cross. They will help you get connected. Pretty much anyone can help clean up. They will need cooks to cook food for crews, too, as well as people for many other jobs. What we should show the world is how well Americans pull together; we don’t need to know those who have lost everything to help them. It doesn’t matter the color of their skin or the amount in their wallet. In America we only need to know another American needs help. We can give, we can pray, we can go. Show that you are glad for what you have. Share something valuable with those who have lost almost all. Share yourself.
