Abaddon,
Beautiful post!!!
Heathen,
I agree it's kinda hard to feel compassion anymore , we do live in a dog eat dog world where it seems only the crooks get ahead anyway . It is kinda nice to see average joe step up and help their neighbor out like is going on .Who knows maybe it will change some things in the world ........ I doubt it but will definately change some people .........
This situation has changed many people, from New Orleans or not. It HAS changed our world. It HAS affected ALL of us, whether we want to see that or not. Things in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Baton Rouge, and many other shelter cities, have changed drastically. There are 20,000 in Dallas alone that will be looking for jobs and then homes. That changes the job market. It changes the rental/home buying market. It changes the economy. That affects all of us. I know some people are very callous about thinking "this doesn't affect ME, so why do anything?", but it's not true. It affects all of us.
If we could all take the point in Abaddon's post, we can make this situation better on everyone in the long run. Yes, in the short term, it means for those of us that are the "haves" will have to sacrifice more than sometimes we want to or even can. But in the long run, if everyone picks up a piece here or there to help the less unfortunate out, then in the long run, it means we ALL benefit by a stronger economy. I can't see the harm in that.
It just means we have to get out of our comfort zone, which many Americans are not willing to do. I just hope that if I lead by example, it will spur someone else to sacrifice, which spurs someone they know to sacrifice, and so on.