Thursday, September 01, 2005
A Glimpse of Chaos
I am still completely in shock at the situation going on right now in New Orleans. Life there has not only come to a complete stop, but has started reverting backward to a completely barbaric state. This is the human race, and instinct, when the worst hits, is for us to survive. Many people in New Orleans right now are doing only that...surviving. There is a madness, it seems, that accompanies this chaos. This madness overtakes sheer crowds of people and like rats that claw over one another in a flood to get to high ground for their continued existence, people are starting to hurt each other in an effort to stay alive. The looting? That is part of the madness.
This is a small portion of what life would be like for this country were we to suffer a severe blow to our normal way of living. What would happen, for instance, if electri
city stopped over the entire nation? What would happen, say, if the water we normally drink became tainted with chemicals? New Orleans' reaction to disaster is only a piece (and a very tiny one) of what would happen in the US in such a case. There are so many things that Americans have come to rely on as important. Electricity, running water, three meals a day. For New Orleans, these things have ceased temporarily, and in their ceasing, have created an inhabitable impasse.
Tempers are flaring now as impatience peaks. People are no longer willing to wait to be rescued, and as one angry policeman told a tourist, "Go to hell. It's every man for himself." In a situation like this, no one is above the madness, I think. People of all occupations have the same stress levels, and when pushed beyond their humane limits begin living like animals.
I do not blame the poor people of New Orleans. I do not blame those who are trying to get to them, but can't because of the chaotic mess that only seems to become more hellacious. I do not blame our government. (No one is responsible for causing Katrina to hit the gulf.) Most importantly, I do not blame God. He always seems to know what he's doing. I'm sure that if I were in the thick of things over there, that I wouldn't see it so objectively. There is no "big picture" when you can't see past the river of water gushing by the roof you are clinging to. There is only survival.
We simply weren't prepared to deal with a disaster of these proportions. Our "Tsunami" is an eye-opener. We are NOT invincible as a country. We can defend our country against war, terrorists and disease, but we cannot go against the hand of GOD!
This is a small portion of what life would be like for this country were we to suffer a severe blow to our normal way of living. What would happen, for instance, if electri
city stopped over the entire nation? What would happen, say, if the water we normally drink became tainted with chemicals? New Orleans' reaction to disaster is only a piece (and a very tiny one) of what would happen in the US in such a case. There are so many things that Americans have come to rely on as important. Electricity, running water, three meals a day. For New Orleans, these things have ceased temporarily, and in their ceasing, have created an inhabitable impasse.Tempers are flaring now as impatience peaks. People are no longer willing to wait to be rescued, and as one angry policeman told a tourist, "Go to hell. It's every man for himself." In a situation like this, no one is above the madness, I think. People of all occupations have the same stress levels, and when pushed beyond their humane limits begin living like animals.
I do not blame the poor people of New Orleans. I do not blame those who are trying to get to them, but can't because of the chaotic mess that only seems to become more hellacious. I do not blame our government. (No one is responsible for causing Katrina to hit the gulf.) Most importantly, I do not blame God. He always seems to know what he's doing. I'm sure that if I were in the thick of things over there, that I wouldn't see it so objectively. There is no "big picture" when you can't see past the river of water gushing by the roof you are clinging to. There is only survival.
We simply weren't prepared to deal with a disaster of these proportions. Our "Tsunami" is an eye-opener. We are NOT invincible as a country. We can defend our country against war, terrorists and disease, but we cannot go against the hand of GOD!
