It isn't any better - yet

I put ‘yet’ cause I have to believe that one day, sooner than later, we can rest assured that everything that needs to be done, in regards to helping the people, will be done sooner than later. Beloved and I opted to watch the TV last night to catch up on the latest. We stared in utter disbelief for 90 minutes, not really able to say anything. Then I SAW the interview with the man that I’d mentioned earlier, and I nearly broke down. One of the headlines in today’s paper reads “Third World America” which rings more true than we’d like. How can one of the richest and powerful countries in the world let things get this far? They can send enough planes to Iraq and take control of a county in three weeks, yet they can’t get 25 000 AMERICANS moved out of an arena, within their own country?

I don’t question the inability to control a hurricane, but it is the AFTER that brings all these random thoughts.

Have they gone mad??
Can it really be true??? In shades of the reporting of incomprehensible acts of GW Bush on Phantom Scribbler (thanx for that link Danigirl) I have heard another very disturbing item. I am in NO position to be able to validate this in any way, but having heard it from neighbours, the radio and reading in the newspaper this morning, I have to really really wonder out loud. There are over 50 Nations offering assistance to the USA, mostly money, even the including Cuba where Fidel Castro apparently offered to send 110 medical professionals WITH supplies, and the US government has politely DECLINED these offers?? WTF? I quote the paragraph

“More than 50 countries and of number of international organizations have offered aid and technical assistance. In Washington, the State Department has not accepted the help, but said it was analyzing needs.”

Please tell me this isn’t happening. It goes on to mention that both the leaders from Cuba and Venezuela who are both currently at odds with the USA, are able to look above their discrepancies for the moment and pledge assistance. That is Fidel Castor people, HE is willing to send 1100 doctors, each supplied with medical supplies which would provide a certain amount of relief, no?

Why is the US (should I be pointing directly to egomaniac Bush?) so determined to turn everyone away. They can’t take care of themselves, I guess all of their help is in Iraq killing others, yet they deny the entry to those willing to help. I still can’t get over that some of the countries listed, willing to provide assistance in whatever way they can are in fact some of the world’s poorer nations. El Salvador, Bosnia, Sri Lanka. Remember them? They suffered the tsunami a mere 8 months ago and they are already willing to turn around and donate $25K – gold medal for them!

I’ll quit rambling and trying to paraphrase professional journalism, but the journalist is Kevin Sullivan from the Washington Post, and I am not savvy enough to figure out how to link it since it is ‘subscriber only’ and even though it is free, don’t wanna break any copyright rules, but I'll try How Could This Be Happening in the United States? (The Washington Post) By Kevin Sullivan, Page A12, September 04, 2005 Well whaddya know - it worked! I think??


Looting
I would, wouldn’t you? If I were in that situation and the doors to a store were wide open and I saw baby formula or Tylenol or diapers or clean underwear or bandaids or FOOD…yup, you’d see me fending for the health of my family and friends filling as much as I could carry in my bare arms. I have NO problem watching the footage of such actions and seeing people running out (like they are running for their lives) with 2 boxes of diapers in their hands. Good for them. However, if you saw me with a shopping cart full of televisions, stereo equipment of 3 piece suits? Go ahead, shoot me, I am on this planet for the wrong reasons.

Sean Penn
Anyone see CNN this morning? (Gawd I miss Bill Hemmer!) Soledad O’Brien is in New Orleans, ankle deep in icky water interviewing Sean Penn. The Oscar winning Hollywood actor and not some guy from Boston with the same name. Anyway, he was in New Orleans and on Sunday spent 8 hours in a boat going house to house looking for people to help, all while he saw bodies of the less fortunate float by. I missed the beginning of the interview but I understood that while he was on the water for eight hours, he said he saw only four other boats. FOUR. Does the USA not have more than four boats? Why are there not four HUNDRED??? He did mention that conditions were not ideal, but you can take precautions and still be safe and help others in dire need. And yes, he is going out again today. He was working with a New Orleans Historian (I forget his name, but he was also just as amazingly compassionate and committed to helping), and together they were arranging and organizing search parties. I also applaud Soledad for asking him why HE was doing this? Well, apparently no one else is.

Canadian content
Two very little things. (1) Also on the news last night was a small story about two Canadian university students who are studying in Colorado. They took their long weekend, drove to New Orleans with their kayaks on the roof and spent their weekend trying to help locate people lost in the flood. Priorities in place for these two young men? Abolutely!(2) Footage of Canadian tourists who had been caught in N.O. by the hurricane arriving home to the Toronto airport. Sure they were ecstatic to be home, but what made a bigger impact on me was how shell-shocked they still are. They could barely describe how horrible the conditions are, almost as though it was too hard to repeat. One guy even mentioned he would go back to help if his wife would let him. They were in tears making their comments about their experience, but not ONE of them complained about how bad it was for them, they all seemed more concerned about the others.

Back to G.W. I wonder how he slept last night? Did he spend yesterday afternoon cleaning closets and drawers and boxing up some clothes to send to those in need at the shelters, hotels, churches and hospitals? Let’s ask him, because we did.