What a tragedy! People are still dying. We will inevitably host some refugees of the hurricane disaster in Minnesota. I wonder how we can help to provide healing, hope, care, and safety to those victims. In addition, how do we incorporate the refugees into our social fabric? How do we get all the kids enrolled in local schools? How do we try to retrain workers and find work for these people? Will they stay? I suspect some will. How do we provide radical hospitality in the light of such a disaster? What will these people need? Many of them have lost everything. What can I give?
What is troublesome about this whole tragedy is the response by the government and people. I could have pushed harder on my government officials to get some aid passed on to the people in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. I wonder if the feds would have paid more attention to the crises if it were in Minneapolis, Fargo, Milwaukee, Chicago, Seattle, or a number of other cities that are predominantly not black. I can't help but thinking about a radio broadcast I heard which suggested that President Bush is fine allowing this to happen was like culling the flock...getting rid of the poor he so despises. Yet he calls himself a Christian man of faith.
Posted by eich0041 at September 5, 2005 5:23 PMMilwaukee is pretty black. So are the other cities you listed. Frankly, I think you are erroneously ascribing government incompetence and misplaced priorities to racism.
Posted by: Jim at September 5, 2005 11:25 PM