The Suffering from Katrina

I have been moved by the trials and suffering of those who faced the catastrophe of Katrina this last week. It is heartbreaking to see people without food and water, and the impact that this has on the elderly, the sick, and the very young. Without adequate support infrastructure and resources, the weak become the most vunerable. It is heartwarming to see the response from around the country of people, cities, and states opening up to help those who are suffering.

We are aware of the suffering in part because of the images and stories we learn about from the media. There seems to be a natural response among many when they hear these stories, that they are eager to help, either through a donation or some form of assistance.

We saw terrible suffering and misery from a week without adequate food and water. Can you imagine what the suffering and misery must be when these conditions are encountered on a long term basis? I have noticed that the media and people have compared the tradegy in the South to Third-World conditions. We have been moved to help, asking, how can these conditions be allowed to exist here in the United States?

I wonder how we, as members of this human family, allow misery and suffering like we have seen this past week, occur on a daily basis in different parts of the world. For these people, there is no Coast Guard ready to pluck them from their suffering, no National Guard arriving like the calvary, and busing them to a more humane environment.

Mohammad Yunus emphatically states that poverty can be eliminated in our lifetime, if there was only the global will to eradicate it. We can plug the levies that allow the flood of misery and suffering in. We can rescue our fellow man from their dire straits of overwhelming poverty. There are people who are willing to help rescue themselves if they were given the means to do so. If there were enough people committing to do whatever we can, we can end this global suffering.