You gotta feel for the folks down in the southeast who were smashed with the full force of nature this past week.
First they were competing with the royal wedding “excitement” — well, at least the talking heads who were paid to jet over the Blighty for the event were excited.
Then, just when the nation began to turn back to the devastation, we began to hear about the bin Laden attack.
Despite the other news, however, we have a large number of Americans who are hurting, who are in mourning, who are still trying to dig out and determine how they can save their communities — many of them small rural communities — at a time when there is not a lot to go around in our culture.
Sadly, this incredible disaster has struck part of our nation that is easily ignored by the pop culture — including that part that sits in positions of power in Washington, D.C.
These are hard-wording rural people and they aren’t going to riot because they aren’t getting freebies handed over by the government.
We’ve seen it before.
Those who dig in and take care of themselves because of their work ethic are most quickly ignored by the electronic culture.
The rest of us have to do better.
It is time for the rest of us to step forward and make sure these people get the help they need, whether they are on TV or not.
Here is what the American Red Cross is asking for:
“How You Can Help
“The Red Cross depends on financial donations to help in times of disaster. Those who want to help people affected by disasters like wildfires, floods and tornadoes, as well as countless crises at home and around the world, can make a donation to support American Red Cross Disaster Relief. This gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for and provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance in response to disasters. Visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS, and people can also text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to local American Red Cross chapters or to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.”
Granted, we are living at a time when we are all up against it — high inflation, gas prices crashing through the roof, stagnant incomes. But that is all the more reason that rural people need to help rural people.
Whether they are in the limelight or not.
— Chuck Smith