Katrina

Have you noticed a national apprehension lately?

Obviously, there are those that have been victimized by this hurricane far more than others, but I can't help but feel as nation, we're all suffering on a different level.

There's the politics of it all--which is amazing that a natural disaster could become so political so fast, but I suppose in a climate such as it is, it really isn't that surprising.

We had a dinner party the other night with people we really don't know all that well yet, when the table discussion turned toward the recovery efforts, or lack thereof. The guest, riled up to a frenzy on whether or not the city should be rebuilt, whips out photos of city busses underwater that he printed off the Internet.

We now need a dossier to discuss a national tragedy? It was surreal.

Sean's been working disaster relief non-stop for the past week. His Labor Day weekend was spent loading truck after truck with relief supplies. We both have given more than we have in any other crisis, both in time, goods and cash. Yet somehow there isn't the slightest satisfaction in giving.

Not that there isn't the desperate need and we will continue our personal efforts, it just seems that the situation is so poisoned, it feels like you have to take sides on human devastation.

And that is seriously fucked up.


I'll leave you with a quote from W's mother, Babs, that I first read on Ver's blog, and then later on the news:

Almost everyone I've talked to says we're going to move to Houston...What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everyone is
so overwhelmed by the hospitality.

And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this--this (she chuckles slightly) is working very well for them.