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by Georgie Márquez-André October 10, 2005
DILEMMA, n. A difficult or doubtful choice; a state of things in which evils or obstacles present themselves on every side, and it is difficult to determine what course to pursue. PAIN, n. Uneasiness of mind; disquietude; anxiety; solicitude for the future; grief, sorrow for the past. We suffer pain when we fear or expect evil; we feel pain at the loss of friends or property. REASONABLE, a. Governed by reason; being under the influence of reason; thinking, speaking or acting rationally or according to the dictates of reason; as, the measure must satisfy all reasonable men. (Definitions from Webster's 1828 Dictionary. )
It has been a horrific year. So horrific in fact, that some of the terrible disasters are not even making it to the front pages. We have had hurricanes in the south, then flooding up the eastern coast. Volcano euptions, then hurricanes, followed by earthquakes in Central America. Mudslides creating mass graves.
How much can we help? At what point will the generosity, the abundance, reach its limits?
Indeed the United States is the world's wealthiest nation. But for how long? At what point do we say, "Sorry... don't count on us."? One of the lessons from Katrina, in my opinion, is that we have created a whole sub-culture in this country that does not know how to care for itself. They have become so dependent on others, on government agencies, that in their time of greatest need, they can't do for themselves. And indeed, there are times when it is our responsibility to care for others. But what of the day when we can't? Will we all become victims to the predators. Will we succumb in the face of total chaos and anarchy?
I recently went to a presentation by area police, fire chiefs, FBI, and others. The bottom line is that we are counting on good people, well trained people... but people who are over extended, underpayed, and unappreciated. And in times of hardship, in times of disaster, we expect them to do miracles. And there are times that the fact that they are people first, heros later, will prevail. We need to look at our most basic support systems... the local agencies that we take for granted... and make sure that the local powers that be recognize their value and their worth. It may not be popular to set aside much needed dollars to train our police and fire fighters. But the truth is that after 9-11, they have become the first line of defense. And as we saw in Katrina, without a solid blue line... without the medical know how of the men and women in the fire departments... chaos will reign. I am not a proponent of more taxes... but I do believe in the wise allocation of a municipalities' resources. And strengthening our first line of defense, is imperative.
All over the world, not just in the US, raise up your voice in support of the men and women that leave their homes everyday, willing to risk their lives, to protect you and me, and to make a difference in our communities. It may seem like a dilemma, making the right choice. But, in reality, it is the reasonable thing to do.
And, don't forget... the agencies that provide relief to those still in need, are still in need of YOUR help: The Salvation Army, Operation Blessing, American Red Cross.
Have a blessed week.
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