Sunday, September 04, 2005

Katrina As Seen Around The World

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4211320.stm

Sorry I don't know how to make this clickable, you'll have to cut and paste.

Here I go pushing another 'hot button' not meaning to personally offend anyone, but wanting others to simply see what media around the world is saying about us as a nation, about our 'elected' officials, and about their view of what has happened here in the last week.

Meanwhile, evacuees are headed to Phoenix and Tucson as I write. I'll be at the Tucson Convention Center (TCC), volunteering, perhaps as early as tomorrow. I certainly intend to help out by giving of my money and/or my time, as possible.

(Certain of my readers have implied that pointing at the gaps in our administration's care of the nation means I--or those of my ilk--am avoiding my responsibility to the victims. That is most decidedly not true. It's just that we as a nation should know more about the priorities of the men who run our country.)

The polictically liberal online mobilization group MoveOn.org sent out a nation-wide email soliciting donations and offers of housing for the victims--asking the virtual network to step up to the plate and offer what they could, one family at a time. I thought, when I got that email, that Arizona was too far away to offer one tiny little couch in a tiny little house so far from Louisiana.

Now that I know the TCC is being outfitted as a rescue center, I'll be there as soon as I'm called.

6 Comments:

At 9/5/05, 7:03 AM, Blogger Me said...

Taz,
Good on you for volunteering. It's maddening to feel so helpless. Yeah, I can give money to Red Cross (and have, what I can) but it doesn't change the fact that I'm not of any physical use.

One of your readers commented about Labor Day 'festivities' on your last post and how could we party when our kin is suffering. It's a good question, but hardly fair.

See, I've been thinking about this for the past week A LOT. In the space of two days, I turned 40 and bought my first house. I have a lot to be thankful for; a lot to celebrate. Yet, at the same time, I feel guilty for being happy while the devastation in the south unfolds. It's a dichotomy that I don't know how to reconcile.

So on the one hand, I grieve. On the other hand, I celebrate my life and the people in it. What more can we really do? For all the tragedy in the world... I want to be happy. Don't we all?

And to whomever made the comment, please don't think I'm attacking. It's actually something we've probably all thought about during the past week.

 
At 9/5/05, 11:57 AM, Blogger Lois Lane said...

I'm proud of you for volunteering. I'll miss you!
Lois Lane

 
At 9/5/05, 5:30 PM, Blogger Cliff said...

It would seem that I would be the one who was convicted of blatant racism. I've reread my comments over and over and don't see it...unless the one reading it has a vivid imagination.
I will NOT stand by and be labeled a racist,, when I am not one.
I keep politics out of my blog and don't read political blogs and I certainly couldn't recommend a blog that condoned the use of mo ve on . or g. They are left wing extremist's and I think will eventually be the demise of our country. What's good for America, is bad for them. What's bad for America is good news to them.
It's easy to drive home points when so very little of the actual news makes it out without being slanted way to the left. When that happens, we end up with naive people believing it. And of course the press around the world will cover only the bad things of America.
I am curious that we are now only 7 days removed from landfall, (day one and two weren't available for obvious reasons) and refugees are already coming into Omaha, and phoenix add etal, (and all without so much as anything being done by this administration. Truly a miracle. I wish you well Taz, Farewell.

 
At 9/5/05, 6:35 PM, Blogger Christopher said...

Hi Taza,

Kind of blown away by cliff comments their. I suspect since normally he is such a level headed person and a friend of your blog that he may return after the heat of the moment. Friends sometimes misunderstand each other and after some discusion work things out.

enough said about that.

Refugee's are now arriving in MN. They are being housed at a army base north of St.Paul. As of yet their is no call for volunteers but their is a call for Donations of money and Warm clothes (mittens and coats) as it is still the summer here I suspect they are preparing for a long stay. And of course food and diapers and such too.

I am going to donate tomorow what I can. BTW in the first day alone so much was donated it took 19 semi's to bring it to the base!

 
At 9/6/05, 6:08 PM, Blogger Anne said...

taz-i am proud of you for staying true to yourself in all of this.
it's sad, but the massive gap in the way americans view the war and now the hurricane fiasco makes it fairly impossible to see eye-to-eye. i have trouble feeling good about anyone who can't see what a complete mess this administration has made of OUR world. sad that it has come to that, but it has.
take good care.

 
At 9/6/05, 6:12 PM, Blogger Anne said...

cootera-no offense taken by me re: your response to my labor day comment.
we are all different, and therefore we see all of this in unique ways...
i do think that the contrast of the have's vs. the have-not's in this land is a frightening, real, and ever-growing issue. it's just not right. we all are brothers and sisters, after all.

 

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