Posted on 09/14/2005 9:08:24 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
*Images of Americans in need pulls at everyone's hearts*
The magnitude of the damage to the U.S. Gulf Coast isn't fully known by federal, state or local leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Where nature's fury left wrecked lives, homes, cities and small communities, people are more determined than ever to rebuild.
Of course repairs to roads, bridges, homes, businesses, sewer and water plants and the environment translates into the need for dollars and cents.
The Associated Press reported the final tab for Hurricane Katrina could climb to $200 billion, or as much as four years of the war on terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This also is more than the nation spent on two world wars.
Hurricane Katrina already is more costly than the previous record-setting storm. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 cost $35 billion.
The U.S. House and Senate far surpassed that benchmark last week when additional hurricane relief brought the federal government total contribution to more than $62 billion.
The weekend after the hurricane hit those four states, the government still was writing checks for nearly $2 billion per day on items such as the 17 million meals, tens of thousands of trailers to house evacuees and contracts to rebuild highways and bridges.
That amount slowed to about $1 billion per day last week and is expected to drop off in the weeks ahead, the Associated Press reported.
While billions of dollars will be spent on tangible objects, the human spirit's resilience and compassion far exceeds monetary wealth.
For with each disaster that captures our attention and shakes us to the core of our existence, Americans grow more generous.
Images of fellow Americans with no food, water, shelter and just the clothes on their backs compel us to do something.
The 9/11 terrorist attacks stood as the standard for personal charitable donations to victims of a natural or man-made disaster.
The American Red Cross reported a total of $543 million for survivors of 9/11 victims. That charity reported on the fourth anniversary of 9/11 that donations for Hurricane Katrina survivors had already reached $584 million.
The money will keep pouring in because groups across the nation continue raising money for the American Red Cross and other charities.
The National Football League has dedicated its Week 2 games, Sept. 18 and 19, to helping survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
It also was encouraging to see Cleveland television stations collaborate Friday evening to raise money. This was the same night "Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast" was broadcast by all six networks, PBS, Pax and about 50 national and regional cable networks.
Meanwhile, some family members far away from the devastation now house relatives who left that region. Additionally, numerous churches are providing shelter for individuals and families.
These beacons of benevolence likely won't be counted in any total of donations.
Americans will watch to ensure this mountain of money gets to individuals and families who need it most.
When the last dollar is counted - and later disbursed - it will affirm once again that Americans show kindness the most when the need is the greatest.
Yes, but according to Oprah, the nations needs to apologize to these people....
Oprah needs to apologize to the nation...particularly the thousands of "fatherless" children caught up in Katrina...
for reinforcing and advocating the "marriage optional" approach to having families.
Sadly, I'm more sure than ever she'll run for office soon.
And win.
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