Would I Make It??

By way of Funkydva, Yahoo, has issued this response.

After the tears, after watching all the footage that was fit to show on TV, I asked my self, “Would I make it?” And I don’t know the answer. I don’t know if I would. I just watched some footage of a reporter or cameraman describing conditions at the stadium. He makes the point that all those people are law abiding citizens. These are the people who followed instructions and went to the stadium.

At the very moment he was there, there was nobody helping those people. He didn’t see any police or National Guards, nothing. On his way there, he did see over 80 buses lined up refusing to go to their aid because they’d heard the crowd was unruly. From the elderly to the babies, people are dying. He watched two men die of dehydration in the time he was there. And I cried. Right here at my desk. I was sad and mad all at the same time. In a country this rich, a country who seems to spring into action for other nations, you mean in four days they can’t get help to these people?? From what I see on TV, much of the emphsis seems to be on the looters. Screw the looters. Those stores have insurance. These people are loosing thier lives. Screw some stolen store merchandise!

At first, I pish-posed the looters. Or rather, people who were finding the items they needed. Because I too bought into the whole, ‘It’s not the right thing to do’ song and dance. But then I started to think that in these times, if order isn’t restored immediately, right and wrong fall to the wayside and survival becomes the main, hell the only focus. Sure stealing flat screen TV’s is just dumb. But in general, people are doing what they think they need to do to survive.

To tell the truth, I can’t be so sure I wouldn’t pull a gun on someone if I was desperate enough. If I thought me holding a gun to someone’s head was the difference between my loved ones dying or living, I’d do it. If I’d lost everything I owned, walked for days until the soles of my shoes started to mold, I too would break into a store and get shoes. If I had waded in water for days, I too would seek dry clothes. If I was stuck in a stadium with no way to the outside word, no clean water in days, I’d be dellerious. And so would you. I’m actually surprised those people have held it together this long…I’m writing this on Thursday so by the time this posts, things may have changed.

So I wonder would I have made it. Would I have left?? Would I have gased up the malibenze threw a few things in the trunk and rolled out? I don’t know. What if I was poor?? What if all of my family lived in the target area too?? What if I had kids or an elderly relative in my care? I had to hang up on an older relative today because she had the nerve to hit me with, “Oh well why didn’t they leave?? They knew this could happen…That’s what happens when you live in a bowl.” To avoid hitting her with the ever used, “Bitch DIE!!!” I put the phone down. She realized I wasn’t there and hung up. Can you believe that?? That kinda talk and thinking is no good. Those are the words that I will hear if she’s ever hit by a tragedy. And best believe, I’ll find a clever way to repeat them back to her.

A lot of people are wondering what we can do. We’re in far off places. We don’t know many people down there. Or all the people we do know made it to safety. Or we may not be able to contact anyone we do know. Donate some stuff. Give blood. Give clothing. Women, when you go to the store to buy personal items, buy extra and donate those. When you go shopping this weekend and you see a sale on toys, buy them and donate them. In times of need, kids need some since of normacy, something to calm them. You’d be surprised how much an action figure means to a kid who may have been used to X-Box or Playstation but have nothing now.

I had planned not to write about this. Everyone had said mostly what I wanted to say. But since I think we agree that writing, blogging, is a form of loosely structured therapy, I just had to write it out–as opposed to hugging it out (Panama). Anyway, this is an embarassment. I am, however glad, that while politicians are telling the world whay they are doing, reporters are able to get in on the front like and show that nothing’s being done. An treveshamockery indeed!!