Re: Good Samaritan? Times have changed?
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2005 6:54 am
I never imagined that there would be street collections for disaster relief in the USA.
Mart
Mart
The tragedy has caused untold trouble for America, from the poor souls killed during the hurricane to those who died while awaiting rescue or gave up while stuck in desperate conditions in so-called refugee centres---and not to mention the murder and rape victims of the gangs.
But much worse damage has been caused. America's apparent invulnerability has been exposed as a myth. And the fault lines in US society are clear for all to see. If a natural disaster had hit a predominantly affluent white area, somewhere in New England perhaps, would the first response have been to take action against looters? Wouldn't teams of medics have been helicoptered in, with plentiful supplies of food and medicine?
The US is a divided country, and the last eight days have made that plain for the rest of the world to see.
Of course we must help them---just as we should act during any crisis in the world. It's the only decent thing to do. What I want to know, though, is why they weren't doing it for their own.