I would venture to say I am a mostly ordinary average white guy. I wake in the morning and have my coffee and my breakfast, I take my daily dose of meds that cost waaaaay too much and try to have some semblace of a "NORMAL" life.I turn on the television and I hear people accusing my leaders of doing horrible things to people because of their color,I hear stories of available aid not delivered because it is a seriously democratic constituancy and we have in place a republican government.I hear the suits tell me that there is anarchy in the streets. Young able bodied people are raping,looting,killing, people of their own race and any others. I hear stories about help being availabe and it was turned away because it was not ordered by the appropriate people. Food and drink and being witheld from starving, dying people by a government that is supposed to bring aid in times of strife.I hear these stories at every turn of the channel at every twist of the dial at each page I turn. these horror stories are being shouted at me.
I can`t believe it ..........I WON'T believe it. I live in a ethnicly mixed neighborhood and in the space of time that I have lived hereI have been through two major disasters, I have been evacuated from my house by boat. I have had a fire that could of cost us all our lives . I point this out to show you that I am no stranger to calamity . No newcomer to the twists of fate that are delt us.I have not seen in my personell experiences what they are showing me on the tv. I have not heard what they are shouting at me on the radio.
I have HEARD genuine offers of help, I have SEEN my neighbors show up and help all day in horrible jobs like shovelling the muck of the river mud out of my basement.I have personally FELT the pats on my back reassuring me that although it seems impossible things will return to normal. I have had my FAITH in man boosted to the point where I no longer sweat anything. The help,the neighbors, the family, the government,the red cross, the salvation army will be there. They will do as good a job as they can with what they have.
So why the discrepancy? Why the blatent differences in responses to a citizens need? I don`t want to say it is racisim, because it isn`t, I don`t want to say it is politics, because it isn't.I don`t want to sa it is unpreparedness because it isn't. What I will say is we got hit with a horrible storm. It was way beyond anything we were/are/will be prepared to cope with.Man in his over abundance of ego cannot hope to stand up to Mother Nature. If a flood is what she wants a flood she will have, or a fire ,or a earthquake, or a volcano erupting.We are visitors here at her willingness to suffer us.
Now forget all the name calling/finger pointing crap and lets help our brothers and sisters get over this latest of calamitys.
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4 comments:
I'm glad you've had good neighbors and help, and it is my hope that ordinary people will do extraordinary things to help each other in disasters. We want to see man's potential for goodness.
Also, keep in mind that news 'sells', and bad news attracts viewers more than good news. Its also like they want to build suspense and drama, build a good story, to keep you comin' back. Just good story tellers.
If it bleeds, it leads.
The news doesn't bother itself with facts, just their own version of them.
Read on the Spin Zone on the Foxnews home page how a New York Times story was a complete lie.
Where is Rupert Murdoch when you need him?
The news media only reports the stories that sell, even if they have to fabricate them completely.
One thing that is almost never mentioned in the hurricane coverage is Mississippi. You and I have been through flooding similar to New Orleans. We both understand that these people (the survivors) mostly still have homes to go to. Sure, they'll need a ton of cleaning, but they still have homes.
Whole towns were destroyed -- completely GONE -- in Mississippi as the hurricane went through the state. Never hear about that, though, because no one's yelling the race card there.
In fact, if you compare the two areas, it's a stark, revealing comparison. The people in Mississippi are just as black as those in New Orleans, but they seem to want to help themselves. The people in New Orleans all seem to be waiting for the government to come in and help them, and can't do anything for themselves.
It's a shame, really, but it's a by-product of the "great society" programs our government is so fond of having...
I've rambled on enough...
I have been proud of the response from the ordinary 'Joes' of this country who havedug down deep and have volunteered their money and time to give a hand to those who need it. But I have also been appalled by the reception these volunteers got from many of the 'victims' of New Orleans. Instead of thanks they received insults and curses for not enough or being too slow.
It is time that the public woke up and realized that there is no way and no reason to help those who will not help themselves-except to help themselves to someone elses property.
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