Ashamed...

A gentle cool breeze captured my flag this morning. Lightly waving in the early morning shadows it silently whispered to the world its greatness. The undulating flag caught my eye and made me think of all the history and the lives that it represents. It is a representative, a beacon if you will, of a heritage like no other anywhere on this earth.

The tragedy continues in the South. As New Orleans begins to dissolve into an archeological ruin, many of its citizens regress to an abhorrent behavior. I am ashamed of the acts of the people who are looting the city and the surrounding areas. These people need something constructive to do like rowing boats for the rescue workers, or maybe work in a soup kitchen and help feed a few thousand people.

As the television video continues to stream in visually reporting the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the more horrific are the stories of plunder and human immorality. The blatant disrespect for their fellow man, to the point of shooting an officer, over flood drenched loot; the pictures of these reprobates’ actions should be shocking to all of us.

There are many young, old and otherwise helpless individuals who are in desperate need of aid; all the while their “neighbors” are looting more than just the belongings of others. The thieves are robbing themselves and their fellow Southerners of their human dignity and respect. They are living proof of a great loss of the morality, neighborliness and hospitality that historically the South has been known for. The looters are a canker to the South and a shameful representation of America in general. These acts make me feel embarrassed and sick as the whole world watches how we as citizens respond to our own crises. We don’t look better than any average terrorist in Baghdad.

Will Katrina change any of us and how we view our world, our society, or our moral foundations? Will Katrina alter how we respond to irresponsible behavior? I would certainly hope so, but I fear that most will not be affected by these visages and therefore will not modify any of their thoughtless habits or attitudes. Why do I say that? Because Americans have made icons, idols, and millionaires out of liars, cheaters, and thieves; case in point, Martha Stewart. How many people are going to boycott anything that Ms. Stewart places before the public since her ‘release’? Experts, financiers, and investors alike are banking on cashing in on her newfound notoriety. Even she is. The sad thing is that she isn’t the first person to profit from a similar situation here in the great U.S. of A.

One can only hope that Hurricane Katrina will have a beneficial affect on society in the long run. As many people still shudder at hearing the spoken names of Camille and Betsy, we can only expect that “Katrina” will perhaps bring a similar response, but hopefully in a more positive manner. Will Katrina help us stop supporting the immoralities of our society with our valuable resources such as our time and our money? When Americans quit subsidizing the morally wrong things, then maybe the morally right things will become more second nature to us… again.

later…