The recent devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf States has spurred many political discussions that have questioned the preparedness of the United States government in such events and the adequacy of its emergency response agencies. In many minds, the hurricane exposed shortcomings in the current administration in terms of response time, ability to supply troops and enforcement and monetary capabilities. I am writing neither to affirm nor negate anyone's argument on the matter, but instead to pose a different question to American citizens: How adequate have your disaster relief efforts been?
Virtually everyone has something to say in the aftermath of this natural disaster. It is important to criticize and question the government and its actions, and such topics -like whether or not racism had an effect on the relief efforts-should be debated to ensure that the principles of democracy are upheld. However, it is even more important that capable U.S. citizens fulfill their obligations to help those in need -whether it be donating a dollar to Ohio University's hurricane relief fund or housing displaced residents of the Gulf Coast region. Words and thoughts are crucial in influencing our nation's policies over time, but in the current situation it is people that will make an immediate difference.
Search engines such as Google (www.google.com) provide links to over a dozen national relief effort Web sites with information on volunteer opportunities and online donation services. Such sites include Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org) where a $50 contribution could buy a low-flow toilet and $100 could buy a kitchen sink, and the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) whose collection of 111,858 payments has earned over $12.3 million towards Hurricane Katrina relief efforts as of Sept. 13.
Information on OU's relief efforts can be found on its Web site, www.ohiou.edu.
Whether we collect and donate money, send packages of necessary goods like diapers and baby formula, or simply raise awareness of the crisis along the Gulf Coast, citizens must remember that the responsibility for relief efforts not only falls on our government, but also on the people it governs.
-Maria Gallucci is a Post staff writer and sophomore HTC journalism major. Send her an e-mail at mg365504@ohiou.edu.
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Maria Gallucci
