Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Fucking Idiots

We are supposed to get "intense" and "severe" weather today. I'm not holding my breath. We get so many warnings and forecasts throughout the week for rain, storms, severity,... and nothing ever comes. That might be a good thing, for the most part, but I do love a good storm.

I love any kind of storm, but if it storms today, I will be enjoying this rain as bittersweet, knowing this is the same system that has destroyed New Orleans and other areas of the lower country. I hope I never have to fear the rain, as many who live in the South, particualarly in New Orleans, may now fear. The devestation down there is shocking!

But what is turning out to be worse than the hurricane is the lack of humanity among the people. I have never had an experience of good nature among the average person living in the South, which I describe as anything below the line that might cross from the middle of California to the base of Virginia and all below that. Nearly every person I have ever known while living in the South are more concerned with consumption, stimulation, convenience, and they will leave you in the dust (or in this case, in the flood) if your presence doesn't directly serve them. Of course, I am totally speaking in generalities, but GENERALLY SPEAKING, I have never had to endure the selfishness I have had to endure from people I've known across the South.

But then, who am I kidding. ANY place outside of NYC seems selfish. I am so glad I live in a city where people have proven on more than one occassion to have each other's best interest at heart, when it really comes down to it.

Meanwhile, in the midst of disaster, chaos, starvation, infection, death,... what is a huge portion of the population choosing to do, instead of caring for each other in the South? LOOT!

Fucking idiots.

AND they are not stealing food, water, or supplies,... they are stealing status-making shoes, TVs, electronics,... IN THE MIDDLE OF A POWER OUTAGE AND FLOOD! Where do they even THINK they are going to put or enjoy these things??

Fucking idiots.


Watching the looting
throughout the various, devestated areas makes my stomach hurt with repulsion. Sometimes... SOMETIMES, I find my fellow brothers and sisters in Sentience to be an embarassment and a nuisance. Even among those who are trapped in the Super Dome, there is stealing, looting, and witholding of necessities among the people as the stolen necessities are then being SOLD to those who can afford it; who happened to have taken cash with them into the evacuation. That truly sucks.

Fucking idiot people.

It would be different if this was just isolated, or happening sporadically, but it is rampant. It would be different if the looting was about food, water, and necessities, but GAMEBOYS? NIKES? XBOX? TVs?? GAMECUBES? And within the Superdome, people who were thoughtful or lucky enough to have brought in supplies are having their own supplies stolen from them and then held hostage or auctioned off to other people, unless one also brought enough cash to buy their own supplies back!

Fucking idiots.

Whatever... I'm just having a moment.

I'm a big fan of remembering that a few bad apples do not stand as the definition of a people, so... kudos to those who will eventually return health and sanctuary and life to their communities. I feel for them. They can handle the storm, but now they have their peers with which to contend.

3 comments:

JD said...

First -- take deep breaths!!!

It can be so disheartening to see how even a huge natural disaster doesn't quell the instinct for consumerism that pervades our society.

But as hard as it can be, try to focus on all the people who are reaching out to help those who are affected by Katrina. The convoy of ConEd workers, the Red Cross volunteers, etc., etc., etc. I had a hard time even getting onto the Red Cross website this morning -- which I take to mean that many, many, many people have reflexively reacted with "How can I help?"

Then, do this: Left foot, right foot, left foot, breathe! Repeat.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to think that I would act nobly and be altruistic if I lost everything, and hungry, hot, feverish with no relief in sight.

But I just don't know.

There's song by the Sundays which goes, "We'd love to be good, but we'd rather be bad...."

CocteauBoy said...

Since I already know how I would behave in a time of crisis, chaos, and disaster, I have very little pity or sympathy for those who choose to exploit others in those moments. It is criminal.

Even now, the vendors along the footprints of WTC selling gaudy "knick knacks" and tasteless photo collages and mocked-up FDNY paraphernalia make me cringe.

And yes, I breathe... take a step, another... another... you can always remember the majority of people on this planet are inherently good if you take the time to perceive.

By the way, "inherently good" is not exclusive of "passively stupid," though.