For those of you who know me personally, you are aware that I seldom bitch, moan, or rant about something that I cannot or choose not do something about. I just find it a waste of energy. It’s energy that I could otherwise focus on something more creative. (Now that the disclaimer is out of the way… )
Yes, I do think that the situation in New Orleans and the surrounding area is sad. I feel the same way about any disaster… man made or natural. I find it a lot sadder when these situations lead to mayhem… which is an understatement with the aftermath of Katrina. It is the human mayhem that I am addressing here. I read a post by Evil Ang that articulated this mayhem and mirrored my own views quite well. The point here is not to point fingers of blame but to reflect on our own human spirit. I just think that the many disasters that have occurred in the recent past begs us to ponder if we as human animals are as evolved as we like to say we are. Perhaps instead of building and acquiring outwardly we need to step back and rebuild from within first.
I am sure that most of us will do what we can to help in any way possible. I am sure that many will take action with the purest of motivations. What I take issue with is when the “giving” becomes trendy – as an opportunity for us to feel better about ourselves… or as a tool to make others feel bad for not giving as much. Then it plunges into one big pissing contest… something that I have seen more often than I care to mention. So, if you do give… give out of compassion.
And borrowing from Forrest Gump – That’s all I have to say about that.