My Hurricane Post
I am giving you fair warning. This post is a ramble, and may not make much sense at times. I have so many ideas swimming in my head that I can’t really put them in a coherent linear format. You have been warned…
Actually, my Hurricane Katrina post has already been done by none other than Damek, so look at his post. Nothing could have stopped this hurricane, but how come FEMA hasn’t been able to adequately provide help for the survivors? How come all I see up here is the same sensational media with the heartbreaking stories that quite frankly turn me off? And how come the same stories keep popping up day after day?
So many people are trying to get as much gasoline as they can before the prices go up astronomically. But you have passenger cars who are just topping up almost full tanks while big trucks that deliver food and supplies have to wait in huge lines for gas that might not even be there once they get to the pump. President Bush says that Americans should “be prudent” in their gas purchases. But America in general hasn’t been prudent for the last 5 years, so how do you expect us to do so now?
Along those lines, if America had been working on wind and solar energy like we should have been over the last 10 years, there wouldn’t be as much energy damage as there is now. I’m not saying that we can rely solely on this alternative energy – our country is to vast to have it be a practical solution for our present energy consumption – but think of what could happen if we had 10-15% of our energy coming from these sources. Our houses would be cheaper to heat and cool. Some of this technology may apply to our transportation worries. I just want to live in a place where I could drive a car that didn’t completely fuck up the air that I breathe and where I wouldn’t have to be paying through the nose every month, even with the conservation techniques we use at home, for living somewhat comfortably. But then I digress. We’re talking about a natural disaster.
I’m hoping that the government, that America in general, can get their act together and start thinking for the greater good. Those people in their passenger cars at the gas pump are thinking that if they have a couple more ounces of gasoline that they will be safe, forget the others who might need it more. The government has sent all our good civil servants – police, firefighters, etc. – to war as reserve fighters instead of keeping some important people here at home. (Tangent, an ad campaign for the armed forces shows people who are skilled workers in America and who are also part of the armed forces. Some ads would show empty rooms. This is supposed to make me want to join the Army? This makes me sad that these good people who care about our society aren’t here for us, especially now that we need them.) A disaster has happened and it seems that no one cares. I don’t know, maybe there’s a huge plan that will save us all but we have to wait a few more days while the government gets it ready. I hope so.
If you want to do your part, but haven’t gotten around to it, there are obviously still places to help. If you live anywhere near Katrina’s path but were unscathed and have extra room, please look into giving a space for people who are now homeless. This is a good place to start. For those of us who live too far away and/or who don’t have room for another person, the Network For Good is a warehouse of donation sites, and it also gives you info on how to choose a charity. There are many other sites you can go to; these are only a couple. Please do something, since it doesn’t seem like we can rely on our “elected officials” to do anything but finish their vacations.