Opinion: Hurricane Katrina

Katrina. I am growing to hate the name. Not only is it a reminder of how powerless humans are against the forces of nature, but it is also a constant reminder of just how inequitable and unfair life is for some here in America. I love my country; however, I have become disillusioned, disgraced and saddened by what has taken place in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As a Social Science major, one is sometimes forced to take a long, hard look at the methods of the system that we consider normal. In light of the horrendous disaster that has been going on in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama since the Hurricane Katrina struck, I feel a need to speak out. As many other Americans, I am outraged by the treatment given to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Since before the storm touched ground, I have been intently listening and watching the slow and painful demise of my fellow Americans; growing more outraged with each tearful face broadcast on the news. Although they are strangers I will probably never meet, it does not in any way diminish their importance to me. I only hope that somehow they know that so many others are feeling their pain with them. The Bush Administration, along with many other assigned tasks, has turned a blind eye to the basic needs of so many. Great speculation and conjecture for the reasoning behind the Government’s monolithic failure spews from both sides of the political arena. This is not about who failed; it is about who is suffering and dying. It is time for the spoiled and selfish to put their vanities aside and let someone else become the center of our concern. Our attention should be focused on the beleaguered souls being given nothing more than a band-aid for their broken arms. This is not about the color of the victim’s skin: it is about the color of my skin. I wear my whiteness like a scarlet letter or a badge of dishonor. I personally don’t see any benefit to classifying people by race; however, being associated with the idiots that happen to share my race is unsettling. To my brothers and sisters of other races, I wish to extend my most sincere apology for the inaction and gross ignorance of those in power who have shown their lack of compassion, fairness, and decency. It is not what I would have done. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” If racism exists in Heaven, I hope I burn in Hell. A better day is coming.