Katrina, More of the Aftermath

Note: If you don't want to read all of what I have to say, at least scroll down to the bottom and click the link.

I suppose for some people this is old news. For me, this still hurts and I have nothing whatsoever to do with this disaster. Oh, I know that there are hundreds of thousands of other disasters happening across the planet - in Pakistan for example - but I'm thinking about this one because people in North America tend to see themselves as more fortunate than other people - even over other people in advanced industrialized democracies.

I like to point out that as fortunate as some of us are, some others of us are struggling. In my opinion, most of the people affected by Katrina were struggling in the first place, and then they were left behind and treated like old trash that the country was happy to see washed away so they wouldn't have to clean it up.

Yeah, yeah, we can drop our change into collection cups, we can even send substantial cheques to the Red Cross, but temporary attention to a permanent problem won't change anything. When your educational system is designed to promote some above others, there is a problem. When your national myth promotes leaving others behind as you claw your way to the top, there is a problem. When the size of your wallet determines the power of your vote, there is a problem. When the colour of your skin determines the size of your wallet, there is a problem. Donating money to the same old stagnant institutions is not going to solve the problem. Solve these problems with your heads. Change your everyday behaviours to give everyone a chance at the life you enjoy. This isn't a zero-sum game. Everyone can live well. The idea that there can be a pretty high minimum standard of living isn't communist, it's human.

Anyway, please read Operation Eden.