Out of ashes you shall rise again!
I've been wanting to write this post for a few days. I chose to hold off on writing for a few reasons, the primary being the fact that my emotions have been so unbelievably raw since last Monday
For the past week, I have been glued to the televsion, cnn.com, and various other source of news watching and waiting. Waiting for some sign that the horror displayed on our television was not real, waiting with hope that a city I treasured so much was not completely ruined. Wondering how in the hell our nation could sit back and watch as so many people suffered, and worse yet, died.
I screamed at the television... at the talking heads, who sat in disbelief just as we all did...
I screamed at the president... why the hell wasn't he doing something, anything, to save these people.
I screamed at the refugees who arrived here in houston complaining about the conditions here, seeming ungrateful of the fact that they were safer than they were in N'Awlins.
I have been appalled at the situation, of course, but I've also learned a lot about myself. I've been schooled on my view of the world, something that I have never taken the time to learn. Questions are surfacing as I hear news of evacuation by force, accusations that the rescuers are going to stop dropping supplies. Unthinkable as it is, it makes sense to me... the rescuers are doing their job, to rescue these people. I can not see the point of enabling people to stay in a horribly dangerous area.
If they want to stay and have the food and water to survive, then via con Dios my friends, but it doesnt make sense that there are people who are refusing to be rescued, and still expecting helicopters to drop supplies down to them. And it doesn't make sense for the army to expend valuable resources on these people. Maybe that is a harsh way of looking at things, but I don't think its unreasonable.
There have been many times in the past week that my heart has wept for those that were stranded in the city, but the frustration becomes more than one can handle when you witness first hand what all this city is doing, and you watch them step off the bus screaming and yelling about how horrible the trip was, and the bus was, and the shelter is.
It makes me want to scream... Dear Lord People, we're doing the best that we can! Can't you see that? Roughly 50,000 people came to Houston last week, the city scrambled to make these people comfortable, to make them safe. It sucks that everything didn't go completely smoothly, for that to have happened would have taken months of planning.
I'll admit that these people got a raw deal... and what they went through was absolutely horrible. I just hope that in the months to come, as they learn exactly how horrible the situation was, that they will come to appreciate what this city has done for them.
Don't get me wrong, I am not just sitting here complaining, I've been helping in whatever ways I can, and I'm not done yet. I won't give up on these tortured people, and I pray that the Lord can keep me from becoming frustrated.
On a plus note, my parents have completely rocked my world. They were able to get matched with a blind man from N.O. who had been evacuated to San Antonio and had been in a shelter there for the last week. I don't know much about him except for what my mother has told me, but he's in my prayers. Having grown up with blind parents, learning that his cane was stolen from him while at the shelter broke my heart. I thank God that he's in a safe, nurturing environment now.
For the past week, I have been glued to the televsion, cnn.com, and various other source of news watching and waiting. Waiting for some sign that the horror displayed on our television was not real, waiting with hope that a city I treasured so much was not completely ruined. Wondering how in the hell our nation could sit back and watch as so many people suffered, and worse yet, died.
I screamed at the television... at the talking heads, who sat in disbelief just as we all did...
I screamed at the president... why the hell wasn't he doing something, anything, to save these people.
I screamed at the refugees who arrived here in houston complaining about the conditions here, seeming ungrateful of the fact that they were safer than they were in N'Awlins.
I have been appalled at the situation, of course, but I've also learned a lot about myself. I've been schooled on my view of the world, something that I have never taken the time to learn. Questions are surfacing as I hear news of evacuation by force, accusations that the rescuers are going to stop dropping supplies. Unthinkable as it is, it makes sense to me... the rescuers are doing their job, to rescue these people. I can not see the point of enabling people to stay in a horribly dangerous area.
If they want to stay and have the food and water to survive, then via con Dios my friends, but it doesnt make sense that there are people who are refusing to be rescued, and still expecting helicopters to drop supplies down to them. And it doesn't make sense for the army to expend valuable resources on these people. Maybe that is a harsh way of looking at things, but I don't think its unreasonable.
There have been many times in the past week that my heart has wept for those that were stranded in the city, but the frustration becomes more than one can handle when you witness first hand what all this city is doing, and you watch them step off the bus screaming and yelling about how horrible the trip was, and the bus was, and the shelter is.
It makes me want to scream... Dear Lord People, we're doing the best that we can! Can't you see that? Roughly 50,000 people came to Houston last week, the city scrambled to make these people comfortable, to make them safe. It sucks that everything didn't go completely smoothly, for that to have happened would have taken months of planning.
I'll admit that these people got a raw deal... and what they went through was absolutely horrible. I just hope that in the months to come, as they learn exactly how horrible the situation was, that they will come to appreciate what this city has done for them.
Don't get me wrong, I am not just sitting here complaining, I've been helping in whatever ways I can, and I'm not done yet. I won't give up on these tortured people, and I pray that the Lord can keep me from becoming frustrated.
On a plus note, my parents have completely rocked my world. They were able to get matched with a blind man from N.O. who had been evacuated to San Antonio and had been in a shelter there for the last week. I don't know much about him except for what my mother has told me, but he's in my prayers. Having grown up with blind parents, learning that his cane was stolen from him while at the shelter broke my heart. I thank God that he's in a safe, nurturing environment now.
posted by Rebecca at 8:43 PM
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