Today after lunch I was on the CNN website,
a link on Peterson's blog site, and saw all of
the little children who now have no homes, the cute
water-soaked pets that had to be left behind, and I was
almost in tears here in the library at school (as I am now).
I want to go to Louisiana to help out in the relief efforts,
donate blood and platelets, see first hand what the situation
is really like, what's really going on there, but alas, I
have no way of getting there. This is mainly because I just
recently was on a trip to England for a conference, and spent
over $2000 dollars on the program fees, flight tickets, and
traveller's checks (more than half of them used on paying for
train fares to get around the country: from London to
Bradford-on-Avon, Bradford-on-Avon to Lancaster, and then
Lancaster to London. Now I can say that I'm seriously shit broke.
I got greeted by several bills and a rent payment when I got
home, and with all of my savings bonds now gone (to pay for rent),
and $200 in my savings account, I'm now extremely desperate to
find a second job, one that pays more than I make now at Burger King.
Once I get a second job, I'm going to start my own collection jar
for donations for the Hurricane Katrina relief. I have already
contributed about $25 with money that I can't afford to use on
things other than bills. I'm taking that chance though, the
one on being able to help those in need when I'm also one
of those in need. Once I start my internship this fall,
once again I have to cut back on hours that I'm working at
Burger King to have time for my 16 hour a week internship (unpaid),
which means loss of money a.k.a money for rent, food, gas,
and paying other bills.
The financial sacrifice of going to England isn't one that I
would reverse any day. I'd rather be poor than know
that I could have missed out on a life changing experience,
a trip that connected me with other Quakers all over the world.
I now have fellow brothers and sisters (as quoted by another
WGYF participant) across the globe. I feel so priveleged to
have had the opportunity to have this experience and all
of the memories that go with it.
I can still hear the voices of these individuals echoing
against my eardrums on a daily basis, the laughter, the
smiles, the strong Irish accents and multitude of skin
colors, races, nationalities and cultures. I hold on to these
very tightly, not letting them to disappear or waver from anything.
I go out into the world with a bold conviction of God on
my right shoulder, and the need to live a Quakerly and volunteering
life in today's society.
I am appalled that government officials turned down assistance
from various countries who want to help the United States with
the relief efforts, but what astounds me even more is that this
morning I read on the internet that Bush wants to give more tax
cuts to the rich, 1% of Americans. How ruthless, heartless,
selfish and egotistical he is. In a national crisis, who does
he care about BESIDES the rich?
What an unchristian-like asshole he is! Just think of what
international countries are going to think of the United
States now! I am in horror by this, and continually and
increasingly disgusted by the government of this country.
Maybe we as the American public should take away some of
is amenities: White House servants, cooks, gardeners, his
clean water supply, his never-ending supply of food, paid
for by the American public ourselves thank you very much.
And lastly, take away his gas guzzling vehicles, because
I know he probably has several right with him at the White House
1 comment:
Hi Jennifer,
seeing that of god (or whoever) in people like Bush is one of our hardest challenges. Recently I re-read 'To Kill a Mockingbird', I'd studied it at school and had been hit by it's beauty but this was the first time I'd revisited it for well over ten years. What struck home this time was Atticus' challenge to his children not to judge until they had walked for a day (or was it a mile - I now forget) in the shoes of the other person.
Bush is under threat - people are blaming him for the lack of timely response to Hurricane Katrina and this turning away of aid. So what does someone do when they are threatened? They turn to their friends - his friends are the big spenders, the multinationalists, the corporate big boys in town. He's scared of losing their support so he offers them the political equivalent of sweeties at playtime - tax breaks.
It doesn't make it right, it doesn't make it fair but it does make you realise that he is frightened, he is vulnerable, he is after all human.
I am no admirer of Bush or his politics and I think he is reaching out to the wrong people here but like most playground bullies he only knows one method of staying on top - if you can't beat them bribe them.
In Britain there has been a lot of work done in recent years to combat bullying at school - peer punishment, peer counselling, mediation work, facing the victims... slowly but surely it is making an impression in many schools. Quakers have been behind much of the work on this. Maybe the time is coming where instead of getting angry we get even - we level the playing field and bring the same skills and tactics into play that have been so effective with young people.
Many bullies have been bullied, they have unrealistic expectations on them from parents, they are scared of being picked on themselves, are insecure as to who they are and their place in the world. They are frightened of being insignificant, of not making their mark - to be remembered for being tough and a bully is better than not being remembered at all... those who take this to the level of international and national politics should realise that you shouldn't play games with people's lives in the same way as bullies at school should realise that taking out their own insecurities on those weaker or more vulnerable than themselves is perpetuating the circle not stopping it.
We can break that circle - and seeing it for what it is is a step towards that. They need your pity and prayers just as much as their victims - they too are your neighbours we are entreated to love.
love & light
Anna
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