September 27, 2005
OPINIONSLegend's View:
Caring doesn’t end here
How long will people care about the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina?
Most people will stop caring after the media stops coverage, yet the people affected will need national attention long after the camera crews pack up. It seems America’s attention span may be too short to handle a national disaster.
This is not to say that people have not given enormous support to the victims, from donations to the Red Cross to opening their homes and schools. We have united as a country, but how long will that bond last?
If anyone picked up a paper last week they might have noticed that it was filled with tales of giving and heroism. Yes, there was a counter story for every good event, but the amount of kindness shown was far above the norm.
Wouldn’t it be nice if this show of kindness didn’t go away -- what if we didn’t need a tragedy to bring us together?
In many ways our country has never been more divided. People are Republican, Democrat, anti-one issue, and pro the other. It’s easy to forget we each have so much in common, that we are all people with the same basic needs, living side-by-side as Americans. When we feel so separated, it’s hard for us to reach out to one another.
It is in times of tragedy and destruction that we begin to see each other as humans. When we hear a story about a young mother searching for her children lost during the hurricane, most aren’t thinking about who she voted for, or what she thinks about abortion. Most are thinking of how terrible her situation is, and are looking for ways to help.
This should remain our focus.How can we help, and what can we give that others don’t have? If the manners of society only come out in terrible times, then let’s embrace them and remember the positive effects of kindness.
Now, more then ever in this country, we need to come together and forget our differences. We cannot let a tragedy bring us together as a country for only a moment, because nothing will be solved. The kindness, the caring, and the manners people have shown should not be forgotten, but remembered and practiced.
Let’s keep on helping, and caring, long after New Orleans shines again.