Home › Forums › Archives › Community Center › The BigBlueBall Lounge › The Gulf Coast…the new third world? How can we help?
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September 2, 2005 at 2:14 am #19752OreoMember
I don’t know how many of you outside of the USA know what is going on in the USA’s Gulf Coast (the area in the South along the area where the Gulf of Mexico is). People are dying of thirst, hunger and soon vast disease. Especially in the city of New Orleans. People were swept away in the storm, now they are popping up dead on the streets. People are now looting, shooting (even at RESCUE helicopters) and raping. It is utter chaos. Here is some further info if you are unaware of this situation
I got to thinking, there are topics about the price of gas or who’s name we think is “grand” but what about the people in New Orleans? Or all along the Gulf Coast…we have members and MENTORS (you all remember one of our newest mentors Lucifina?). People are evacutated living in hotels, shelters, the local stadium…
I feel like we, as a community, need to do something to help. Please donate to the local Red Cross, go onto Craigslist.com and offer your help to find people. If you can think of anything to add or ways to help…please post here.September 2, 2005 at 3:21 am #129328SpikeMemberI added a link to my signature first I heard of the gravity of the situation. Feel free to do the same, you can even use the same link, it links right to the American Red Cross’s Donations for Hurricane Katrina page.
If you want the link, use this code:
Code:[FONT=Courier][[/FONT]URL=http://arc.convio.net/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_src=splashpagebutton]Hurricane Katrina Donations[/URL]My prayers go out to all of the victims, as well.
September 2, 2005 at 5:41 am #129337Eagle_KiwiMemberI assure you that those of us NOT in the USA probably know – and feel – as much as you guys do.
This is far bigger than just a “national” story – even today it is still #1 item on all news bulletins here in N.Z., and BBC World that I watch extensively still rates the Gulf situation the MAIN news item.The tsunami last Christmastime was absolutely dreadful, but this latest natural disaster strikes even deeper here, as it’s right in the heart of a “civilised” society with Western values just like our own (NZ, Australia, UK, etc). It is horrifying to see just how vulnerable we all appear to be – and desperately gut-wrenching to think that even though we might see victims being interviewed on TV today, by tomorrow those same people have have perished, through lack of food, water etc.
Almost unthinkable that aid and rescue can take soooo long, even in an advanced society – but I hope people’s anguish won’t all turn to anger, blaming the authorities, who I think are surely doing the very best they can.I visited an internet friend in Laurel, MS, about this time last year, and have other friends around the region too (I hope YOU’re ok, Lucifina) so am watching closely.
September 2, 2005 at 9:43 am #129317sciencefeelingMemberOf course, is a major tragedy and it is being covered here as if it were a locas disaster.
It is really amazing to realize how small we are compared to mother nature. We should really listen to her more often instead of ignoring her as we do most of the time.
What surprises me, is why the evacuation wasn´t enforced, instead of optional…but maybe they were not expecting this huge effects. I am not sure what the USA government knew or didn´t know, that we don´t get here.
The shooting to the rescue team was reported, and I really can´t understand it…it all comes to show, how, in times of necessity, human race goes back to the caverns.EDITED AFTER READING THE ARTICLE PROVODED BY OREO
OMG, so…it is ok to risk soldiers in gunfires in Iraq and not to risk soldiers against some crazy people in New Orleans to save american babies and citizens. So…they consider some gunfire is more dangerous than terrorists…I don´t get it, really, I don´t, if I were american I could not fogive my government, they didn´t give them food or water, they basically let them there to starve…I knew they were not evacuated, but I didn´t know they were not given food and health care. I am shocked.
Natalia
Natalia
September 2, 2005 at 10:57 am #129333AqeelParticipantWe are aware of the situation in Southern America, media is playing vital rule like it played in Iraq war, with live coverge. What so ever, situation is very terrible, videos show that, Southern America really feels ‘3rd world’ in videos, people are desperate need of help.
But the orders to shoot given to national guard these are hard to absorb, as knowing what America really is… how the goverment take care of it’s citizens but that’s unfair. Killing your own citizens when they’re starving.
Edit
That all shows that after all we all are ‘social animals’ and sometime these ‘social animals’ really becomes ‘animals’ when their basic necessites are not full filled, also it shows that there is no difference with 3rd world or ‘civilized’ world when it comes to basic necessities, such as food…September 2, 2005 at 11:53 am #129329sarahtownyMemberI have been keeping an eye on the news either by the news on the tv, or on my comp. The pictures and stories have been very horrific. Our thoughts and prayers here in the UK, are with these people at this terrible time.
September 2, 2005 at 1:55 pm #129327neo_ny_23MemberInstead of doing government bashing and questioning why they are shooting and whom, I guess the best thing we can do is to go forward and provide help to those people directly or indirectly. I have been soooooooo busy last 3 weeks, and including this week due to orientation for new kids (working 75 hours this week) that I hardly got any time to come online or read news, but I can imagine the extent of the damage. I am gonna do whatever I can to help those victims.
September 2, 2005 at 2:00 pm #129318OreoMemberAs far as people not being evacuated by force…that is REALLY hard to do here in the USA. Even with “forced” evacuation, often times authorities try to go to some one’s house to make them leave and get shot at or people just simply refuse. Hurricanes are funny things… you can think one is going to hit you…and then POOF…it weakens and is a tropical storm (which are bad enough…I KNOW!) or hits some one else OR goes back over the ocean and does not effect land. People often have “hurricane” parties, because everything is shut down, they stock up on alcohol and just party…the hurricane does not hit…they all have fun. (There’s even a drink from New Orleans called “The Hurricane”). The problem is, they have not been hit by one like this for so long and there is SO much poverty, many people had NO place to go. Also, those who had something to lose, did not want to leave and have some one steal their property while they were gone. The biggest cause of this problem was the fact that the government in Louisiana was unprepared for a storm of this strength. I just pray that things for them turn around soon and they are back on the road to recovery. (Also, if any of you have heard of the singer “Fats Domino” [he was popular in the 1950’s with songs like “Blueberry Hill], he, his wife, his children and grandchildren refused to leave their house…now THEY are all missing.)
September 2, 2005 at 2:15 pm #129330gossipingraeMemberSo okay guys, you’ll have to forgive me if I sound ignorant…I haven’t had cable or internet in my house until hopefully later today. I don’t even get local channels for the news, so I don’t even know what is going on down there.
Last I heard, the people of LA were being evacuated BEFORE Katrina was in the vicinity. That’s crazy! I went to a friend’s apartment on upper campus and I saw on the news for the FIRST time how terrible it actually is down there. I saw one guy riding a jet ski across the river.
The BU chapter of American Marketing Association (of which, I am the secretary) plans on doing some kind of sale where all of the proceeds go to the American Red Cross.
My marketing prof and advisor is from Alabama, and he still has family in that area. He tells us that what the victims are asking for is money, nothing to be sent to them. No packages or whatnot, how would they get down there when the entire place is like the ocean?
…And I feel really selfish lately, because I’ve been complaining about how gas is up to $3.19 a gallon…shame on me…
September 2, 2005 at 3:05 pm #129320TigerbladeParticipantsciencefeeling wrote:What surprises me, is why the evacuation wasn´t enforced, instead of optional…but maybe they were not expecting this huge effects. I am not sure what the USA government knew or didn´t know, that we don´t get here.doesnt matter who knew what, you can’t force people to leave their homes. if they want to stay, all you can do is warn them of the consequences of doing so. you can’t just haul them off in trucks.
Quote:EDITED AFTER READING THE ARTICLE PROVODED BY OREOOMG, so…it is ok to risk soldiers in gunfires in Iraq and not to risk soldiers against some crazy people in New Orleans to save american babies and citizens. So…they consider some gunfire is more dangerous than terrorists…I don´t get it, really, I don´t, if I were american I could not fogive my government, they didn´t give them food or water, they basically let them there to starve…I knew they were not evacuated, but I didn´t know they were not given food and health care. I am shocked.they’re sending soldiers in by the truckload. unfortunately, there’s only so much they can do, really. sure they have guns to fire, but firing on enemy insurgents is much different than firing on your own countrymen, and civilians at that. regardless of whether they may be innocent or not, i imagine most of these soliders would be hesitant to fire on civilians. i’m also shocked at what i’ve been reading and seeing about it… it’s degenerated into pure chaos and anarchy. its a shame on our country, really. i realize it’s a huge catastrophe, but so was 9/11 and we went through that with less than anarchy. sure the government could probably step it up and move a little quicker and maybe a little more efficiently, but i’m sure they’re doing what they can for the moment. it’s kind of hard for them to really do much when they’re being shot at by the mobs. trying to land a helicopter to drop off food but being forced back by the mob?? come on now, you dont storm the relief chopper. something about biting the hand that feeds you??
i’ve added the link Spike provided to my signature, hopefully people will donate what they can to start getting this situation back under control.
September 2, 2005 at 3:47 pm #129323QwertyMemberI have just been watching this for about two hours on 3 different channels when I got home tonight.
It’s so trippy. Like probably wose than the Tsunami in shock factor.
The fact that these images of what look like a third world country are comming out of the world’s greates superpower show that seriously, we are just humans and mother nature has the power.
Watching the pictures, it was so similar to the Hoovervilles of the Great depression. It reminded me of Afrcia so much. Even that War of the Worlds movie slightly just because of the sheer desperation.
Anyway, good luck America.
September 3, 2005 at 5:18 am #129336MrOatsMemberThis is horrible… We must do something. Donating to your local church is also a good idea. Also, Here is a list of organizations you can donate money to. Any amount of money will help. Pennies add up to dollars, one dollar will add up to hundreds.
*http://www.amazon.com/gp/philanthropy/red-cross.html
(Link on Google’s homepage for donations).
* American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org, or your local Red Cross.
* America’s Second Harvest: 800-771-2303, www. secondharvest.org* Catholic Charities USA: Diocese of Syracuse, 240 E. Onondaga St., Syracuse, N.Y. 13202, 800-919-9338, www. catholiccharitiesusa.org
* Church World Service: 800-297-1516, www. churchworldservice.org
* Evangelical Lutheran Church Disaster Response: 800-638-3522, http://www.elca.org/disaster
* Network for Good: http://www.networkforgood.org
* Operation Blessing: 800-730-2537, http://www.operation blessing.org
* Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: 800-872-3283, http://www.pcusa.org/pda
* Salvation Army: P.O. Box 4857, Jackson, M.S. 39296-4857, http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
* United Methodist Committee on Relief: 800-554-8583, http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor
* United Way of America: P.O. Box 630568, Baltimore, M.D. 21263-0568, Hurricane Katrina Response Fund, https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/hurricane-katrina/donate/
September 3, 2005 at 5:42 am #129324QwertyMemberWatching the news, donating isnt going to do anything.
The richest country in the world isnt short of money. Money isnt the problem. Think about it.
September 3, 2005 at 6:18 am #129321TigerbladeParticipantQwerty wrote:Watching the news, donating isnt going to do anything.The richest country in the world isnt short of money. Money isnt the problem. Think about it.yes, but not all of us have the capacity to physically go down there and haul people and food around. money is the best some of us can do.
September 3, 2005 at 7:00 am #129322RabidKittenParticipantVery true. Though I think it was you, Qwerty who came back at me when I said that money can’t solve everything by saying that it could some time ago. But that is neither here nor there.
Exactly, Tom. Heck, even my household (who are just making ends meet) went and gathered supplies like water, diapers, baby formula and the like for the funds that were going on here. And yet, all we could really say was “…I wish I was there”. It’s really amazing though…to see people dying in the streets, in those kinds of numbers. *shakes her head*
It’s been a hot topic in school, I’m sure you can imagine, heh. But yes, especially when it came down to talking about people’s reactions and coping. We took a look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs…and it really makes you realize that people who were already self-actualized, or at least higher up into the esteem and such sections came crashing down the second that their safety or basic needs were taken away. Really, I couldn’t blame folks for going a little nutty when they’re roasting in the hot sun, malnurished, dehydreated, if they have children, watching their children getting sick, watching people die….honestly you can’t blame some people for being fragile in that manner and basically reverting to animal instincts.
Really, I can’t stand the folks who are looking down on the looters or the folks who really do anything to find water or food. They’re not looting TVs or VCRs…they’re looting water, food, medicine… *shakes her head* You do what you can when in those situations. When you come crashing down from such a height…it does things to people…so, because of that, I don’t blame the gun issue either. Yes, these people need help, and need security, but they also need people to keep them calm and in order. In one evac site, there were reports of fights, gunfire, trampling of people, injuries and the like before the military got involved. They’re there to restore order, folks, not to randomly hang around with automatic weapons and scare folks.
It’s like my Interpersonal Communication Teacher was saying…she knew some folks who lived in the inner city all their lives, they had bars on windows, people with mirrors checking under bus seats at schools, metal detectors and everything…and they welcomed them, they were keeping them safe. Though, that would scare the hell out of me. It’s all in your interpretation. Some people feel safer with armed guards, some feel more threatened. *shrug* But their intention is good.
….and really…in a case like this, we have no idea what to do. We’re not used to helping out own people, seeing this in our own homes. So, we’re boggling about, trying to figure out something, anything that might help.
And who knows…now that I think about it, maybe this will help our people to understand what’s going on elsewhere better. Maybe if we can figure a more effective way of helping ourselves in this situation, we can learn how to more effectively help other nations who are having these problem.
Always trying to find the positive in every situation. There’s a reason. Always is. *shrug*
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