A Time For Real Perspective

I know the other day that I made light of Hurricane Katrina and the coverage given to it by the national media. While I am not rescinding my criticism of the media, I am rescinding any statements that may have been construed as undermining the severity of this storm and the devastation that it has now caused.

Tonight, for the first time since the Hurricane struck, I sat down and watched CNN to get a better idea of what exactly is going on. While watching the coverage, there was a phone call from a registered nurse, who is currently working at one of the hospitals in New Orleans. This nurse told a story of absolute desparation as she stated that the hospital in which she was working had no water, no electricity, no more beds, and was essentially existing in "beyond primitive conditions" with the patients sitting on floors that were covered in feces. She stated that her and her fellow co-workers had been working around the clock without sleep and were starting to fear for her own safety. She also described how the staff had begun to administer IV's to one another because they were starting to suffer from the ill effects of malnurishment.

As she told of her horrific existence, her voice cracked, and she started to cry. As she cried, she said that she contacted the show because she wanted someone to know that they needed help and wanted to know when help was coming as no one had helped them yet. I have never heard another person talk or sound the way that she did as her voice was filled with pure desperation. She was a human being who sounded like she had reached her breaking point and all I wanted to do was help her.

And I am sure that her story is only the tip of iceberg for the area of this country that has been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. I mean you cannot go anywhere in the City today without seeing the images of the devastation whether it be on the news or in print, the likes of which many of us have never seen. These images of the destruction are juxtaposed by the images of some of the people of this area looting and taking to the streets armed with guns as martial law has gripped the affected area. While I do not agree with the choice these individuals have made especially when I see them stealing non-essential items like televisions and other luxuries, I cannot even begin to imagine the fear that some of these same people must be feeling as they lack shelter, food, water, and even basic safety. It truly is world without law and order.

And while some may say that these people should have left before the hurricane struck, the truth of the matter is that some of the worst affected areas were the poorest, which means that the inhabitants of these areas lacked the means necessary to flee from the hurricane. Instead, they did what they have probably always done when facing a situation like this one attempting to wait it out in their homes. The problem of course is that this time, the storm was far worse than anything they had ever experienced in the past. Further, it is unclear where these people would have gone anyway since the devastation is so widespread.

As a result of hearing this woman speak and then thinking about this entire tragedy, I had to do everything in my power not to cry because there I sat thousands of miles away in my apartment safe, well fed, and without a fear in the world. My heart ached and continues to ache for the people of the affected areas and their families who may be worried if their family members are still alive. All of these thoughts really made me feel downright awful about all the crap that I have been complaining about of late providing me with real perspective about how trivial my life's problems truly are in comparison.

I also started to wonder what exactly I could do to help these people. After a quick Google search, I found that a comprehensive resource for information about relief efforts and what we can do to help is the Red Cross Website. At this site, you can also make a monetary donation. The donation process is very easy to complete and is secure. The only issue I had was that there was heavy traffic on the site, and thus, you may have to wait awhile for the site to open up, but the wait is worth it, as the donation goes directly to the relief efforts being undertaken by the Red Cross. Additionally, this site provides you with ability to search for your local chapter of the Red Cross in case you want to find other relief efforts that are being undertaken in your community.

In addition to the Red Cross Website, I found their companion site, GiveLife.org,which provides information about the opportunities to donate blood in your area, which is an essential commodity right now. Moreover, this website for the Federal Emergency Management Agency is another comprehensive resource to find other groups that are helping with the relief efforts. Finally, I guess if none of the above is appealing to your voluntary desires just plug in Hurricane Katrina into Google, and I am sure that you will find something that suits your needs.

Of course, I do not want to come off sounding like you have to go out and do any of this as the above is just meant to be a guide if you want to help out right now. Further, if you do not do anything that does not make you a bad person or even the spawn of satan, I just figured if I was thinking about this stuff and what I could do, other's may be interested in what options are out there as well. In the end, maybe the simplest thing that you can do is to keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.