Remember Remember the fifth of november

This post has been in my mind for several weeks now, since I saw the movie V for Vendetta (Which I saw thrice). The movie reminded me how crucial it is to never forget events in your life that shape you. I wish what I'm about to say wasn't true, but I have to be honest with myself. How easy it has been to forget the impact Africa had on me. Or the impact working with the Red Cross had on me. My life was changed but when you merge back into "normal" american life it is so easy to be swept away in worrying about yourself and living with a very small worldview. Think about it. Even living in California, it was so easy to sit back and say "oh how sad" to all the hurricane victims then turn back to your own life not giving it a second thought. I'm definatly not glorifying myself either because although I went over there to help, I have found myself already forgetting. Because I can't physically see the devastation in front of my own eyes, it's as if it doesn't exist anymore. That's what I mean when our world view has a very small radius. My world consists only of what I see and nothing else.

On one of my days off, I bought the newest Rolling Stone magazine and read it in a hole in the wall sandwich place. There was an article written by a guy who had just recently visited New Orleans to survey how the relief efforts have been going. He was shocked to see that though months had passed since Katrina hit, it pretty much looked the same. Completely deserted. He talked about how Bush's plans to help rebuild were meant to help the poor and small businesses but in fact are doing the exact opposite. Bush wants the poor to be able to rebuild there homes but when they apply for FEMA aid EVERYONE is sent a letter of declination regardless of eligibility. In fine print at the bottom of the letter is a statement saying that they could reapply. All those applicants who reapplied were considered while all those who did not.....no support. How many people were weeded out by this one stupid paperwork entanglement? I have no idea, but I bet it's a large amount. Also, the article said that FEMA would not even consider your application unless you had already been rejected for a certain loan. Well, what about the elderly?! The only way they can get free federal aid is if they take out a loan that had something like a 30 year life? Who wants to die with a loan to bequeth?

Secondly, there are new building requirements for people who wish to rebuild their home post katrina. There home must be raised like 7 feet higher. This can be done by bringing in dirt or by actually building your house on stilts. Once again more money needed to rebuild for people who already don't have anything. The article brought up the problem this creates for the handicapped. They would be required to build a ramp that when it corresponds with their "ramp laws" or whatever would make the ramp ridiculously long in order to make it up the 7 or so feet where their house sits. When this question was raised, the response was, "They can build an elevator". Yep, I'm sure they could build an elevator......if they had money! This whole thing really saddens me. What has ended up happening, is that all the poor have pretty much deserted their homes and major contractors are moving in and beginning plans to build huge casinos and condos. Where does this place the poor? They got the boot.

Sorry this is a really long post but it's something that has been bugging me. I don't want to be someone who walks around with blinders on my eyes, blocking the view of the real world. I don't want to only see what lies 3 feet in front of my nose. This world is filled with suffering, injustice, pain. If you remove the blinders, you will find it every where. Are we not called to defend the rights of the poor and oppressed? The fatherless and widowed?

I haven't even mentioned Africa. How my heart aches when I read about the "invisible children" (If you haven't seen the documentary or read about it go to www.invisiblechildren.com), or when I remember individual names of children I have met in Zambia......Denga, Joseph, Mercy, Charity, Bwalya the list goes on.

I guess I'm just trying to figure out how I play into all this.