in the deep south
i am disgusted by humans. if you just give us an inch, we'll shoot at helicopters and ambulances and loot everything in sight. new orleans just seems unreal. like it's no longer 2005, but 1305. every man for himself, hunt and gather, rape and pillage, survival of the fittest.
i don't know what conclusions to draw from this. you have disasters. in some instances, people primarily band together and there's this unbelievable display of unity (like in new york city for 9/11). but in others, like with katrina, we kill each other and steal whatever we can get our slippery hands on. why the difference?
posted by jessica @ 1:53 PM
2 Comments:
I don't know, jess. i have to believe that there are great stories of people banding together as well. And, some of what's being called looting is desperate people looking for food and water and I can't blame them for that. As for the other, unexplainable acts, they are disappointing, but I expect they are more than matched by the acts of kindness and sacrifice also being carried out. I have to remind myself that the media love a flashy story, which may be why we are seeing more negativity than positivity.
When you need to restore your faith in humanity, think of all the people who have opened their homes to strangers (moveon.org, for example, has created a website to help match the newly homeless with individuals willing to open up their homes); or all the universities opening their doors to college students whose colleges have been destroyed; or the 20-year-old kid who commandeered a school bus and drove from New Orleans to Houston, picking up other refugees on the way (they pooled their money for gas and diapers and drove straight through). And, i heard a story on NPR this morning about a couple that was supposed to get married in New Orleans last Sunday, but evacuated instead. With the help of other refugees and Red Cross volunteers, they got married this weekend instead. Local companies donated tuxes, dresses, flowers, hair and make-up services. A lot of their friends and family members were staying in the dome with them, so were able to witness their day.
I share your frustration with those who take advantage of the current state of lawlessness (as well as with the slow as molasses response our government has managed). But there are also stories of humans banding together to help each other through a tough time.
Humankind is so complex that it is so hard to wrap our brains around all the bad that people do in the world (like serial killers, rapists, child kidnappers). I do have a good story to make your day about the Katrina disaster.
This older couple who was in a retirement home evacuated their retirement community before the hurricane hit. They had a little boston terrier with them. None of the shelters would take the dog, so they gave up and decided to go back to the retirement home. By the time they got back the hurricane was in full force and they had to crawl on their hands and knees to get inside. In the process they lost their dog. Well in the aftermath the rescue workers found this couple who were pretty much ok minus a few bumps and bruises. And then some other rescue workers found his dog and returned it to him. That little old guy was so happy. It was so cute. I'm a big animal lover, so it's extra touching to me, because if I lost Reggie, it would be like losing a child.
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