Bigfork Eagle editorial

The human animal

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, many parts of the deep South have become cesspools—total wastelands of death, disease and despair. New Orleans, with all that jazz and vigor, has been annihilated. Biloxi, Miss., looks more like Venice, Italy. The devastation is almost unfathomable for those of us sitting comfortably away from the catastrophe. The photographs of the area don't resemble the America we know. They look too much like scenes from third-world countries—images we all too often ignore because they don't affect us directly. But the stories are even more unreal.

Last week the headlines screamed words like "anarchy," "unrest" and "malaise." Last Thursday a sniper fired on a medical convoy trying to evacuate a hospital. There has been looting everywhere. In Hattiesburg, Miss., a man shot and killed his own sister for a bag of ice. Lawlessness and chaos were taking hold amidst the hopeless who are trying to survive.

In New Orleans, the dead are laying where they perish—there is no one and no where to dispose of the corpses. Truly, it is a mounting nightmare. More than one person has been quoted as saying, "We are out here like pure animals. We don't have help."

Thousands of people have been without clean water or food. It has become difficult to distribute aid without creating a mob-like situation. Despair drives people to madness. There should have been a plan established as soon as the hurricane lifted. There should have been aid sent immediately to the area by our nation's government. Instead, our president has spoken of escalating gasoline prices and advised "Don't buy gas if you don't need it." Gas is not the issue here. The deliverance of safety and nourishment to thousands of our countrymen is vastly more important than gas. At least, it should be.

We can do so much. Everyone of us. There are simple things that can make a huge difference. Go one week without your morning latte or mocha. Send that money to a relief fund. Hold a bake sale, car wash, dog groom, music concert, etc., and donate the proceeds. If each adult in the U.S. gave just $1, minus those in the afflicted states, that would total more than $1 million. What a great start.

Things in the states ravaged by the flooding are going to get worse. With all the sewage, bacteria and chemicals in the water, diseases like cholera and typhoid will begin to take hold—especially in children. This week there have been reports of E. coli bacteria. Help will be needed for years to come. The people struggling to survive are just that—they are people. They are not animals. They are desperate and they need our help.

Over the holiday weekend, many gave up their time off to raise funds to aid Katrina's victims. Children, in particular, were out selling lemonade and cookies to earn money for the cause. It was great to behold philanthropy in ones so young. The parents, too, need commendation for instilling in their children an ideology that goes beyond self. When there is love, there is hope.

The Bigfork Eagle is joining fund-raising efforts by holding a portrait raffle. Just stop by the Eagle office and pick up a raffle ticket for $1 or seven for $5 for a photo sitting with either editor Katherine Head or photographer/sports guru Sam Kaufman. All the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross. Photo vouchers can be used for senior portraits, family portraits or pet portraits. Two winners will be picked Oct. 3 and will be announced in that week's paper.