Daily Archives: September 2, 2005

Grab Bag

Stunned… Hurricane Katrina

Yesterday I sat and watched the news for hours on end, stunned at what I was seeing. I felt numb after watching all the reports as if all the tears in the world were not enough. People dying in the streets of our own country because of dehydration and starvation. And what is worse there are the opportunistic scumbags around looting for gain, looting alcohol, and weapons. Looting for survival and food I can understand. But the reports of such degeneration into unbridled lawlessness is heart breaking. With gangs out looting for weapons and then shooting at relief workers, or raping and killing people, it is just sick. Why would someone go and risk their lives to help when that is happening. But people do and there are people who genuinely need help who have nothing not even hope.

I saw reports about rescue workers volunteering with the Red Cross and being trained up here to go down there. I pray for their safety.

I saw a report about some kids in Walpole who have raised $1,000.00 so far by selling lemonade and cookies on the side of the road. The children make me cry. Seeing how they are affected by this, how families are being torn apart and how children from around the country are responding to help.

I also pray for the safety of the FEMA worker Jenn that was on my flight on Monday and her dog Taboo. The weeks ahead are going to be so emotionally crushing for her and her dog. Did you know that occasionally live people have to hide so that the dogs do not get so depressed about only finding dead bodies. Let’s also not forget that many animals were also displaced along with people. I can’t even imagine that the term refugees is being used to describe people in this country.

Donations. Do not get scammed about donating. Again the opportunistic dirtbag are out and about. The American Red Cross is the best place for you to send your money to help. Make sure you go directly to their website at http://www.redcross.org. Don’t go through links on websites or through links from e-mails as they can easily redirect you to bogus sites. It is sad that that is the case but for your own piece of mind go directly to the Red Cross site on your own. I am a scrupulous person and I’m not even going to put a link directly to the site so you know I am serious.

I was supposed to be in New Orleans on the 14th of September. That would have been my first time ever in that city and the sate of Louisiana. Now I will most likely never go and see that city. Never like it was. And this week my trip got cut short because of Hurricane Katrina and I didn’t end up going to Alabama as I expected. I pray that the clean-up and aid and recovery gets more organized and the recovery workers can do their jobs safely and that the people who were affected by this disaster get the help that they need.