Ryu2.mind

Untilnow, I haven't really blogged about Katrina and its aftermath. Such wasdue not to insensitivity on my part, but rather the fact that living onthe other side of the planet, and (thankfully) having no friends orfamily in the disaster area, it all seemed far-removed for me. Mysources for information were generally the same media outlets as mostothers, and my general philosophy in blogging is that "我不说废话" -- Idon't like to say wasteful things, ie, "me too!" without addinganything new and personal.

And now, after reading two things, I feel I finally can do the latter.

First, read this blog entryfrom my friend cndbanana. Before you do so, make sure you'reemotionally OK, as you'll likely get sick to your bone afterwards. Thistragedy certainly takes on a new and very ugly dimension whenit affects someone you personally know.

Also, this article (link courtesy of kitw) has been by far the Katrina-related piece that has made the most impact on me.

...Whatwe consider "normal" behavior in an emergency is behavior that isnormal for people who have values and take the responsibility to pursueand protect them. People with values respond to a disaster by fightingagainst it and doing whatever it takes to overcome the difficultiesthey face. They don't sit around and complain that the governmenthasn't taken care of them. And they don't use the chaos of a disasteras an opportunity to prey on their fellow men.

But what aboutcriminals and welfare parasites? Do they worry about saving theirhouses and property? They don't, because they don't own anything...

Thesepeople have no stake in anything... have no life worth living, and theatrocities like what cndbanana wrote about mean nothing.

It'seasy to blame the government from Bush on downward. Yes, they are notfaultless of this. May things change for the better in terms ofdisaster preparedness and response.

More importantly though,it's easy to blame the victims themselves and their reckless mentality.And yet, the blame game is meaningless -- because the implied reason whywe blame is to effect change on the part of the blamed. Here, inblaming we're asking for change which is nearly impossible given thesecircumstances: a vicious cycle, with each new generation born with aworldview of despair, of hopelessness, of not knowing love nor trust.

Inmany ways, it itself forms a stronghold in this segment of humanity...different and yet similar to other strongholds of worldview in otherpopulations worldwide. I take solace in knowing, Thinking and trustingthat only His redemptive plan can truly break them.

ForHis family, 9/11 was an example of the effects of worldview extremismleft unchecked,  reminding us of the need to find strategies inpiercing those strongholds by sharing that which iseternal.  Likewise, Katrina illustrates extremism of anotherkind... and ultimately, it will also result in taking a long, hardlook at our own disenfranchised and disillusioned in our own backyard.