Our hearts and prayers go out to all the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. We feel deeply sorry for all the people who have lost their homes and loved ones, for the region that has lost many of its prized and charming cities, and for the nation that has lost much of its dignity in the way that people, both inside and outside the tragedy, have responded. If we learn nothing else from this horrific chain of events, we should at least come away knowing that mother nature cannot and will not be tamed by men, and that human nature finds it much easier to point a finger than to lift one.
We are not innocent of this; We have pretended that we understand the angst the victims are experiencing, yet we have felt angered by the looting, shooting and rioting; We ourselves feel frustrated by the weakness of government and institution response, yet there is little that we ourselves have done. Last night we called 1-800-HELP-NOW and donated what we could to the Red Cross. Now perhaps we can feel that we have helped, but inside it does not feel like enough.
This one natural disaster has brought an entire nation to its knees. Now, while we are there, we must pray for us all.