(no subject)

[emmagrant01]

After half an hour of alternately crying and shouting at the TV:

Me: I can't believe this is happening in my country. What's wrong with the government??? God, I hate Bush!

MDH: I don't hate Bush. He can't help that he's an idiot. I hate the fuckers who voted for him.

They just reported that Fidel Castro offered to send medical supplies and doctors to help. Refugees are on their way to my city. I just hope I can help, somehow.

ETA: Anybody else watching this thing on NBC? Amazing how quickly they cut away when that man said, "George Bush doesn't care about black people." I thought Mike Myers was going to choke...

Comments

Amen!

[daughter-of-nut.livejournal.com]

I spent a lot of yesterday alternating between being very sad and very angry- mostly angry. My mom said: "George Bush is afraid of black people!". He probably doesn't like them, either. The American Red Cross's press page tactfully suggested that they were not allowed in immediately "by the government", and a relief worker I saw interviewed suggested that he wouldn't go in without an armed escort, which wasn't being provided. If a bunch of guys at a contracting office in Mass. could get to Mississippi by Wednesday morning in their trucks (which they did, to help clear away debris), why could they National Guard get mobilized by then, too? It looks like they guys in charge sat around for a couple of days, when they could have had something in place Sunday, when they knew it would be a Category 5.

I've sent a very large donation to the Red Cross and irate letters to my Senators to let them know I was _not impressed_ in the least by the government's inaction. Also, on recommendation by Moveon.org (I belong to Moveon and the other evil liberal political group, People for the American Way), I donated to a local LA non-profit, ACORN.
http://www.acorn.org/
The link takes you to Groundspring, an organization that coordinates non-profit activity, and they are managing donations for ACORN. ACORN had their main offices in NO, and are attempting to set up temporary quarters in Baton Rouge. They coordinate services for low- and middle-income families, including housing and tax preparation. Just an idea if you're looking for a grassroots organization that's local and has a proven track record.

Hugs, all! I'm feeling really discouraged about the fate of the U.S. these last few days. We look like even more crappy to other countries than we did before this happened.

Re: Amen!

[daughter-of-nut.livejournal.com]

Am amendment on ACORN: they are actually international, but they're on the ground in NO right now, and it sounded like they were scrambling to keep services going, that were interrupted by the hurricane and its aftermath. They obviously lost everything in the local office, but are still up and running on their website, urging their clients in new Orleans to call the other offices for help.

An aside: high fives to the people of Texas, who are providing housing and help immediately and generously to refugees. You guys and gals are the greatest!