Impotence
So the city of Portland and several local agencies got really excited about helping hurricane victims. We set up a shelter on Sunday for 1000 people and everyone was excited about having people come and cots and computers and showers and all that.
Then the word came that the people from the Gulf didn't want to come here.
It's a funny thing - I can see it because I feel the same way. Impotent. I want to help - but I am all the way over here. I can send money - but I see people who have lost everything and I want to DO SOMETHING.
So what a let down! We want to help so that we can feel better about the whole thing. We want to feel like Americans reaching out to other Americans. We would like to think that people would do the same for us. We want to pamper people who have been screwed.
But I sure can't blame people from Louisiana and Mississippi - we are so far away. And in so many ways we are VERY different from those southern states.
But really - I know us in Portland - we really have good intentions. We might try really hard to overcome our racial ignorance in an obvious way - but I think they would be treated really well.
So I hope they come.
(Like an hour ago I heard that people would be coming. We'll see.)
Then the word came that the people from the Gulf didn't want to come here.
It's a funny thing - I can see it because I feel the same way. Impotent. I want to help - but I am all the way over here. I can send money - but I see people who have lost everything and I want to DO SOMETHING.
So what a let down! We want to help so that we can feel better about the whole thing. We want to feel like Americans reaching out to other Americans. We would like to think that people would do the same for us. We want to pamper people who have been screwed.
But I sure can't blame people from Louisiana and Mississippi - we are so far away. And in so many ways we are VERY different from those southern states.
But really - I know us in Portland - we really have good intentions. We might try really hard to overcome our racial ignorance in an obvious way - but I think they would be treated really well.
So I hope they come.
(Like an hour ago I heard that people would be coming. We'll see.)
posted by Portia | 9/08/2005 01:18:00 PM
2 Comments:
You've got to delete that crappy post. Acne scars? jeesh.
Anyway. Onto the real comment.
Americans love to help out in an emergency.
But we're too lazy/apethetic to try to actually prevent one.
Even I knew that New Orleans would be flooded if a hurricane hit. That doesn't make the lack of planning by various government agencies right, or put the blame on the poor folk there. But, if you live in Kansas, you can't claim ignorance about tornados. I think the same could be said for New Orleans and flooding.
I'm gonna have to blog about this.
Okay - still learning how to do this stuff - how do I delete those kindof comments?
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