Late night ramblings...
Forgive me if some of this doesn't make much sense. It's 12:42 AM and I'm tired and I've just had a beer.
Random thoughts:
God pless poor, stricken New Orleans. From the reports I've read and heard, and from the pictures and video I've seen, it looks like the city is in shambles. Thousands may be dead. And I feel sorry, and sad.
And a little ashamed. Ashamed because I kind of bought into the whole Weather Channel mentality of the storm as an exciting, impending, anticipated major news event. When it was still out in the Gulf, before it made landfall, the news channels were very excited about how powerful the storm was, and they had their correspondents out at the various beaches and seashores, and they had their maps where they charted likely paths for the storm, and I kinda got caught up in that anticipatory excitement. And then it hit. And in its path it left only devastation and tremendous loss, and there was nothing exciting about it.
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Gas is over $3.00/gallon now in many parts of the upstate. In fact, I just saw a photo of a station in Laurens County selling regular for $4.59/gallon. Incredible. I've been waiting for 10 years for the price of gas to dip back below $1.00/gallon. I guess I had better give that dream up.
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I was listening to WNCW this afternoon (okay, yesterday afternoon), and they were featuring a live, in-studio performance by an up and coming "blues" band led by a gentleman by the name of Peter Tork. Yes, Peter Tork. The Monkee. He's a bluesman now. Somehow. The interviewer asked him how his previous musical experience had prepared him for his current career as a blues performer, and he explained that the blues were always a major component of the Monkees' sound. Yeah, you can really here the Robert Johnson influence in "Cheer Up Sleepy Jean".
It's no "Rufus Xaviar Sasparilla", that's for damn sure. That stuff rocks, I tell you.
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posted by Chauntelle at 9/01/2005 12:41:00 AM
3 Comments:
I understand how you are feeling. I have to admit feeling a little anticipation when a big storm is on the way. There is an excitement as I watch it move, but then the reality hits that lives are shattered or lost, and that, especially this time, there may be no way to rebuild. At least not for a long time. And I think there may be many, maybe thousands of people, may never be found. That just breaks my heart. To think that someone is missing, gone, and nobody ever knows what happened to them. They're just gone...
I honestly believe that this event will have far more impact on all of us that 911 did, and that scares me. More than just a wonderful city deing completely destroyed, what's coming for the rest of the country? The events that are happening are competely out of our control! What's next for us all? How high will gas prices go before people can't afford to go to work? If gas is $4 a gallon here in Nashville by the weekend, and many people only make $8 an hour at their jobs, how will they make it???
Another thing that bothers me is the reaction that many people have to the looters in those shattered areas south. Are all looters the same? Is stealing food from a store that is quickly going underwater the same as breaking into a Walmart and stealing 50 computers and television? I'm having a crisis of conscience over this one...If things could be saved and your place of business wasn't about to be completely covered by water, then you products shouldn't be disturbed, but is it the same when a wave of water is on the way and all your stuff will be ruined anyway?
For me it comes down to this...I think it's like war. If I am going to profit by your loss, then I'm wrong in taking stuff, but if I need bread to keep my family alive, isn't is ok to take it??? I need it to survive...like I said, I'm having problems with this one!
1:48 PM, September 01, 2005
I agree with you on that. I think if someone is stealing food and water to stay alive or to feed others, that's really OK. You do what you have to do in those situations. At this point I think it's best for someone to take it, because it will all be under water soon. I'm having a problem with the fact that so many people are still without food and water. I know that vehicles cannot get into the city, I know that planes cannot land, but why can they not drop thousands of pounds of food and water on the city? People are dying now, not because of water and high wind, but because they are starving and without any medical care. I know it's gotten violent and dangerous for aid workers, but I still think there has to be a way. We cannot let these people just die of dehydration and starvation. Pull a freakin' cruise ship in as far as it will go and start boating people out to it. When it fills up, bring another one. I know this may not be plausible, but something has to be done.
I don't even want to start on the gas prices. We should have had alternate fuel sources YEARS ago. I'm sorry to see oil companies using this misery and disaster to make more money.
5:21 PM, September 01, 2005
I did see something where there was a cruise ship company (Carnival maybe?) who was trying to mobilize & offer their services to the city. I think that part of the problem may be, though, that they've got tours booked--and I know that most of us would completely understand if we were told, "Sorry, we're going to have to bump you; we're rushing to the aid of Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi right now"--there are a lot of people who would be pissed off, and the cruise ship companies may not be able to clear out enough ships without some advance planning. I agree with everyone on the looting, and I did hear an interview with the District Attorney--the interviewer (this was on CNN) flat-out asked if they'd prosecute ALL looters--the DA said that yes, they will. The interview then asked if they'd prosecute someone who was starving, who needed food for their baby. The DA said that they understand there are circumstances, but if someone is looting, then charges will be brought--but in all probability, the courts would take into consideration the circumstances of the looting. I understand that we need more aid workers--but you can't blame people, volunteers, who have to pull their services because they're afraid of being shot. I had heard (not sure how true this was) that a bus bound to rescue nursing home residents was hijacked--if people are willing to hijack a bus meant to take the elderly to safety, what makes you think they won't shoot you for your 20 oz Coke? I think this is just a horrible situation--I've heard people say, "Well, why are there so many people left in the cities? Why didn't they evacuate?" I think what we may be dealing with is a situation of people may not be able to just get in their cars & leave. Maybe they don't have cars. Maybe they're existing (barely) on minimum wage. Maybe they don't have anywhere to go--they had no choice BUT to stay. And now they're seeing their chance to "get even" to get a little of what they think they deserve. I don't think it's right. I don't think that, with people starving and dying from lack of water, sanitation, and health care, that you have the right to steal a plasma tv. I mean, just on the surface--what the heck are you going to do with it??? There's no power. There's no way to watch your tv. What are you going to do with it? Same with people looting the gift shops & clothing stores....what do you think you're going to do with your new-found loot? Sell it??? To WHO???? And as for the people who are stealing the guns, shooting police officers, shooting at the helicopters as people are trying to evacuate the SuperDome...who do you think you are to terrorize people who have lost just about everything???? I don't know what's happened to those people. They've lost their humanity, and I think that makes my heart break. To know that there are people who've lost their homes, everything that's precious to them, family members, friends--to know that these looters are victimizing THEM--makes me wonder if the looters have a soul.
9:54 PM, September 01, 2005
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