The Bully Has A Black Eye
While at a training event over the weekend, we were chatting about Hurricane Katrina. There was a profound acknowledgement of the suffering of those who wouldn't, or more likely couldn't, flee the city in anticipation of the storm. Aside from the fury of the storm itself, there will be abundant blame to go around. Personally, I am prepared to lay much of the consequential blame with the government -- a compelling argument published in The Independent (a British journal) makes the case that the budget priorities that support the military action in Iraq and the subsuming of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) into the Department of Homeland Security are largely responsible for the neglect of the infrastructure which might have saved New Orleans (http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article310195.ece).
Nine months ago we were generous in offering relief to the victims of the Tsunami in southeast Asia. Now, however, it must be asked if we will be as generous to those who are suffering as a result of Katrina? I suspect that there is a certain smugness in viewing the United States as the bully of the world, who now has a black eye...they have made their bed, now sleep in it...or if you burn your ass, you've got to sit on the blister. All this is undoubtedly true, and we will all be paying at some level as fuel and produce prices rise.
But for this dog at the table, much in all as I would like to be smug, I've already made a contribution for hurricane relief -- it was at a wedding yesterday where the bride and groom would kiss in return for a charitable donation, and since I said the grace at the meal, I had the first opportunity to make a donation ($20.00 if you need to match it) and while the kiss was hardly worth it, the good feeling was.
I'm prepared to lay blame for the scope of the catastrophe at the feet of the American administration, but that doesn't relieve me of the responsibility to care for others who are suffering.
Today's weigh-in: 225 lbs. (I can accept the blame for that)
Nine months ago we were generous in offering relief to the victims of the Tsunami in southeast Asia. Now, however, it must be asked if we will be as generous to those who are suffering as a result of Katrina? I suspect that there is a certain smugness in viewing the United States as the bully of the world, who now has a black eye...they have made their bed, now sleep in it...or if you burn your ass, you've got to sit on the blister. All this is undoubtedly true, and we will all be paying at some level as fuel and produce prices rise.
But for this dog at the table, much in all as I would like to be smug, I've already made a contribution for hurricane relief -- it was at a wedding yesterday where the bride and groom would kiss in return for a charitable donation, and since I said the grace at the meal, I had the first opportunity to make a donation ($20.00 if you need to match it) and while the kiss was hardly worth it, the good feeling was.
I'm prepared to lay blame for the scope of the catastrophe at the feet of the American administration, but that doesn't relieve me of the responsibility to care for others who are suffering.
Today's weigh-in: 225 lbs. (I can accept the blame for that)
posted by Eminence Grise @ 19:38
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