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Katrina

ZenLunaticZenLunatic Veteran
edited September 2005 in Buddhism Today
Didn't know where to put this, but since the hurricane hit the US, I'll put it here.

The Mayor of Biloxi has that Katrina "...is our tsunami"

Is this a fair comparisson? Any time life is lost is a moment of great sadness. But comparing Katrina to the tsunami is a bit off, I think. First, residents knew days in advance that the hurricane was coming and had plenty of opportunity to evacuate. The tsunami came without warning. The hurricane struck on section of the US; the tsuanmi struck one section of our globe. If we're lucky, the death toll will only be in the 100s (it's at 70 right now). The tsunami claimed almost 1/4 million people.

For some reason, I feel that the mayor calling this "our tsunami" demeans and belittles what happend in South Asia last December. Any thoughts?

Comments

  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2005
    I do have to agree, ZL. Somewhat over the top and dismissive of the terrible loss of life from the tsunami and its aftermath. I imagine that all the resources of the state will be brought to bear to tidy up whereas S. E. Asia is still coming to terms with death and destruction on a vast scale.
  • BrianBrian Detroit, MI Moderator
    edited August 2005
    Yeah I was a bit bothered by that as well. As if somehow the loss of 54 americans is more important than the loss of 200,000 non-americans.

    This is not our tsunami. This is our hurricane.

    Leave it to the media to overdramatize a given event :(
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited August 2005
    It is the nationalist obsession which says "One of ours means more than a thousand of theirs".
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited August 2005
    I have to say, the American Media is very good at playing the 'Drama Queen'. Apologies to all my states-side friends, but I sometimes watch sky news reports, and occasionally, the crassness of some reporters beggars belief!! :doh:
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited August 2005
    That's a good point.

    I remember watching the news yesterday morning as the hurricane was approaching and one "talking-head" was saying "this is Hell on Earth."

    And I remember thinking, "How could it be Hell on Earth" and he's just standing there reporting the news?

    I just have to remember that, IMO, anything that makes it to the news has to be sensationalized - at least here in the US. Saying, "Boy!, it sure is windy and rainy here" just isn't as effective.

    As for comparison of these two - both are horrible and I wish nothing but the best for the people in these tragic incidents. But, that tsunami... that was awful. I can't imagine. I remember thinking the same thing when that tsunamic hit the coast of Papua New Guine (I believe) a couple of years back. Hit in the dead of night. Scary.

    -bf

    P.S. does anyone know when Katrina became so huge? I remember seeing a blurb about it a couple of days ago and it was like a category 1 hurricane. Next thing I know, Boom!, it's a whopper!
  • ZenLunaticZenLunatic Veteran
    edited August 2005
    Thank you all for confirming my thoughts. I didn't want to feel like a bad person for feeling that way!
    P.S. does anyone know when Katrina became so huge? I remember seeing a blurb about it a couple of days ago and it was like a category 1 hurricane. Next thing I know, Boom!, it's a whopper!

    It's the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico that helped it strengthen so quickly. It was barely a cat 1 when it hit the southern tip of Florida, but a few days in the Gulf increased its strength!
  • edited August 2005
    federica wrote:
    I have to say, the American Media is very good at playing the 'Drama Queen'. Apologies to all my states-side friends, but I sometimes watch sky news reports, and occasionally, the crassness of some reporters beggars belief!! :doh:

    I agree....my husband and I are always talking about the media here and how they blow things WAY out of proportion. And I don't know if all countries are like this, but ours is obsessed with Actors/Actresses, and those people usually make the news more often than anything else. It's frustrating. Why are those people any more important than the rest of us? Ok, I guess I have started my own rant here....anyways.....I agree with you, Zen!!
  • edited August 2005
    To avoid a rant I will just say that I agree with what has already been said.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited August 2005
    River, I hope my comment about you living your signature didn't offend..... :winkc:
  • edited August 2005
    I agree too. Sad, for sure, but not the same as the tsunami.
  • edited August 2005
    Not at all fed.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited August 2005
    No, I know that now.... hzve been elsewhere and seen your response.... think the thread has still transformed into one about bazookas.... :lol:
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited August 2005
    Of course, you all know that if climactic changes continue in this vein, much of the UK will be underwater and the USA coastline will be changed for good? Aren't we a clever bunch?
  • edited August 2005
    ZenLunatic wrote:
    Didn't know where to put this, but since the hurricane hit the US, I'll put it here.

    The Mayor of Biloxi has that Katrina "...is our tsunami"

    Is this a fair comparisson? Any time life is lost is a moment of great sadness. But comparing Katrina to the tsunami is a bit off, I think. First, residents knew days in advance that the hurricane was coming and had plenty of opportunity to evacuate. The tsunami came without warning. The hurricane struck on section of the US; the tsuanmi struck one section of our globe. If we're lucky, the death toll will only be in the 100s (it's at 70 right now). The tsunami claimed almost 1/4 million people.

    For some reason, I feel that the mayor calling this "our tsunami" demeans and belittles what happend in South Asia last December. Any thoughts?

    I would have thought it would have been relevant and indeed accurate to be highlighting the effect that global warming is having on the WORLD climate.....tsunami's, earthquakes, floods, droughts etc...prehaps a good time to focus on the current US policy of not signing up to the Kyoto agreement...despite producing 25% of the worlds CO2 emissions. I am not a member of " Friends of the earth"...just not one of its enemies.
  • edited August 2005
    Well, from what I gather (and I'm no scientist) part of the reason Katrina got so huge so fast was the ultra-warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.

    And, in fairness, the death toll for Katrina will be FAR higher than the current numbers we have. The mayor of New Orleans stated, "We know there is a significant number of dead bodies in the water, and other people dead in attics", Mayor Ray Nagin said. Asked how many, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."

    I've heard some more liberal estimates say that after the body counts are finally determined, and the ill-effects of the disease which is to surely follow, when all is said and done, it could be over 10,000.

    So is it a fair comparison? To some degree it is. Both were natural disasters which completely leveled large areas of dense population.

    I think some of the comments here demean the victims of Katrina.
  • edited August 2005
    I can see how possibly some of the comments that have been made could appear to demean the victims of Katrina....although I believe that there is not a single person here that would consider one death to be anything less than tragic. It could be perceived by many that making a comparison to the tsunami was unnecessary, furthermore there was more emphasis placed on the financial cost of Katrina to the insurance companies than the loss of life. The question I would like to put forward...is why were so many people unable to leave their homes, this despite plenty of warning...were they unwilling, brave, or as is more likely left with no choice because they were too poor and didn't have the means to leave? this in the richest country in the World.

    Disease is unlikely given the amount of medical aid available on the doorstep......

    I certainly meant no offence by my post but I do think now would be a good time for the US Goverment to take a good long look a climatic changes as a result of Co2 emissions. Instead of pandering to big business, perhaps it is now a good opportunity for the USA to show it really is a Superpower by taking the lead in stopping this world from self destructing..We all of course have a role to play in this!
  • edited August 2005
    This may be the richest country in the world but we DO have poor people.

    Lots of them.

    And, in New Orleans in particualr, they lived right next to the levees that broke. In fact, it has been an ongoing problem within the city for years. Everyone was aware that, at some point, this would be a problem; however, as it affected primarily the poor people (which, should add, is the majority of New Orleans populace) nothing was done about it.

    So yes, it some cases they rode it out because they didn't realize it was as bad as it was. In others, it was because of hubris. In a large number it was because, more than likely, they had no where else to go and no means to go there.

    And disease is VERY likely. New Orleans sits 10 feet below sea level. The water which fills that entire area is contaimated -- heavily contaminated. Between the new dead bodies of both humans and animals alike, and adding to that the gas, oil, and assorted sewage (plus the hyrdoexhumed graves) disease is a horrible problem. Medicine is only good once you can get to a person, and when an area the size of the Florida panhandle is essentially a toxic dump there WILL be disease problems. Ever hear of mosquitoes? They'll carry it. Rats? Oh yeah, they'll carry it too.

    There are countless people trapped within areas of the wreckage that are still far to difficult and/or dangerous to get to.

    As far as emphesis placed - that depends entirely on who you talk to.

    And, at this point, you can take your political agenda (which I happen to agree with, by the way) and shove it up your ass. These are most certainly issues to be dealt with, but to use them to belittle a situation simply because you are critical of the county is inane.

    The point is, instead of being over-sensitive about one stupid reference made by one stupid politician, maybe you should be more sensitive to the gravity of the situation and the astrnomical suffering associated with it.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited September 2005
    It doesn't matter what the mayor calls it. Those people saying that are lost. The thing that is sad is that there are 70 more people dead and their families are going to go through suffering just the same as the families in Asia.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2005
    I don't believe for one moment that Abraham was belittling the situation in any way.... the original post by ZenLunatic was that the Mayor of Biloxi made a rash and thoughtless statement. Subsequent posters agreed, but much has happened since that first comment, and things inexorably move on. My previous post stated that, and others from the USA, again, agreed, that the media in the States is prone to both exaggeration and over-dramatising situations for their own viewing figures and also because sensationalism is the order of the day.

    For example:
    We have satellite, and Reality TV. One advert for this channel, is a bunch of guys (dressed as cops) "playing" with a criminal, hiding behind cars, and shooting at each other, making 'blam! blam!' noises with their mouths.... picture, if you will, six to ten-year old boys playing in the yard.... well, the next slogan that comes up is.... "It's much better when it's real"... and switches to an aerial view from a chopper, of real cops having a real shoot-out with a real criminal.... my horror-filled question, is - It's MUCH BETTER(?) when it's REAL" - !!??!!

    I hate to say it, ZanyMike, but the USA has a global reputation of being extreme - big in this, big in that and larger-than-life. Everything that happens States-side is magnified... either through reporting, and the media, or by the sheer clout America has.
    Without taking anything away from Katrina - and as Abraham said, even the loss of one life is tragic - it just shouldn't be happening in this day and age, especially with the warning received!! - There are disasters of epic proportions happening around the globe on a daily basis. So the original comment given at the time it was, was both inappropriate and ill-timed.

    The true death-toll of the Tsunami will probably never be known. Yet very precise figures are already being bandied around here and there, with regard to Katrina. And they vary, according to which report you read, watch or hear - !!
    Statistics and figures - both to human and financial cost - will always be given out, and will always be too high, whatever the situation.
    I will not deny or argue that there will be long-term repercussions to this situation. But I firmly believe, even if the risk of disease does exist, that it won't remain as hazzardous or life-threatening as it would do in less developped countries.
    THis is a highly emotive subject.

    Let's stay calm, people. remember who we are....... :)
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2005
    ....And By the Way, has everyone read Justin's post in the Lotus Lounge.....?
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited September 2005
    I was at a poetry gig last night. A wonderful evening but overshadowed by the terrible news from the USA.

    A number of us, from many different traditions, feeling the helplessness of distance, will meet today and for the next nine days to sit together in prayer and solidarity with the refugees from the area of devastation.

    Our thoughts are with you all. We wish we could do more.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2005
    What specific time, Simon? maybe we can join in, calculating the time differences.....
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited September 2005
    Thank you, Fede. We shall be meeting at noon (BST) which is 11 a.m. GMT.

    The Catholics are praying a novena which is why we chose nine days. Our local Catholic priest has provded space for those who want to 'sit' and all are welcome.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2005
    Thanks, Simon..... I'll join in.....
  • edited September 2005
    And, at this point, you can take your political agenda (which I happen to agree with, by the way) and shove it up your ass. These are most certainly issues to be dealt with, but to use them to belittle a situation simply because you are critical of the county is inane.

    I am saddened by your response and your less than eloquent terminology. I have no political agenda in any shape or form, therefore asking me to insert them up my rectum is not appropriate or indeed constructive....especially as you happen to agree with them. I am not a card carrying activist, communist or radical...as for using these " issues " to belittle the situation as you put it, is to miss the point entirely. Should you wish to engage in an arguement, then you will be a one man band, I am not interested. Out of respect for the current situation lets leave it at that, if however you wish to take the time to get to know me better, I feel sure you will realise that you have misunderstood my intentions.
  • buddhafootbuddhafoot Veteran
    edited September 2005
    I agree with Abraham - I don't think anyone was minimalizing the damage and death by Katrina.

    I remember thinking about my post concerning the 'talking-head' making reports on the hurricane a couple of hours afterwards and thinking that my post may have made what was happening in the south US inconsequential.

    That was not my intent. Any death in any violent (whether by Nature or Man) is awful. And the US has it's own difficulties as do other countries. It was not that long ago that the nation was struck by the inane violence of 9/11.

    While I still do have a problem with our sensationalized media in this country - Trajedys that happen ANYWHERE in the world are awful. These people, regardless of race, creed or color, need support from the rest of the world.

    -bf
  • edited September 2005
    I have to confess that I have taken certain comments made by ZanyMike to heart....I thought long and hard about joining this forum, it was only after gentle cajoling by Federica that I finally decided. The opportunity to engage in a stimulating enviroment, dicussing various issues and more importantly learning more about being Buddhist.

    I feel very selfish writing this post, as this thread was not supposed to be about me but the poor souls who have been so badly affected by Katrina. I am still trying to reconcile how a man who has studied " Buddhism " for six years and is currently taking a masters degree in English feels the need to use such language.

    I am therefore naturally questioning his being a follower of the Eight Fold Path in part or as a whole....this has left me wavering a little as to whether being part of a forum like this is of any benefit spiritually, I am currently feeling a little bemused :confused:
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited September 2005
    Abraham,

    The thing a lot of people forget about Buddhism is practice. We still get mad and day things to people. It is a misconception about us. People think we sit around meditating and being serene with the universe when that isn't true at all. I find that understanding why I feel this way is the moist important thing and then one day I won't even feel a certain way at all. It is all about practice. We all go through different stages and different precesses.
  • edited September 2005
    Well said, Comic. Being Buddhist does not mean that you will automatically say everything right and not hurt anyone's feelings ever again. I wish it did work that way! :) Abraham, please don't let one post discourage you from being here. I have only "known" you for a few days, but I feel like all of us on here could learn a lot from you.
  • edited September 2005
    ZanyMike wrote:
    Well, from what I gather (and I'm no scientist) part of the reason Katrina got so huge so fast was the ultra-warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.

    And, in fairness, the death toll for Katrina will be FAR higher than the current numbers we have. The mayor of New Orleans stated, "We know there is a significant number of dead bodies in the water, and other people dead in attics", Mayor Ray Nagin said. Asked how many, he said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands."

    I've heard some more liberal estimates say that after the body counts are finally determined, and the ill-effects of the disease which is to surely follow, when all is said and done, it could be over 10,000.

    So is it a fair comparison? To some degree it is. Both were natural disasters which completely leveled large areas of dense population.

    I think some of the comments here demean the victims of Katrina.

    I agree. My brother (as far as he knows at this time) has lost his house because of Katrina. :sadc: Luckily, he and his kids got out in the nick of time to my place. We are all crowded since I only have a two-bedroom apartment but he and my nephews are alive at least. ZanyMike, I heard the same thing on the Weather Channel---that Katrina got so big because of the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Sorry, people! I am just a little touchy on this subject right now. Please forgive me. :confused::angry: :banghead: :-/

    Adiana
  • edited September 2005
    Would just like to point out that my original response (as well as those of others) was made when the number of reported dead was less than 100 and not all the damage had been seen. Since then, the levies in New Orleans broke causing killer flooding, and others have died from not receiving prompt and adequate care. While I value every life, I did think it was a bit of an exaggeration to compare 100 deaths to thousands and thousands. Now, however, we are looking at probably thousands dead and cities totally destroyed. Our Tsunami? Even if it is not 100% equal, I believe yes, it is our tsunami because the destruction was a natural disaster more catastrophic than anyone alive has ever seen here. Like 9/11, it has affected almost everyone in some way and will change many on a deep, emotional level.
  • edited September 2005
    DK:

    Like I said in my earlier post, I am somewhat touchy about this subject right now. That is why I asked for people to please forgive me. My brother figures his house is a total loss at this point plus he won't be able to go to New Orleans to even find out for sure for some time according to the latest reports. On a positive note, I just wanted to add that the kindness and compassion being shown to my brother and my nephews is amazing! My Buddhist and Wiccan friends here in Indiana, as well as some others that we don't even know here, have donated all sorts of things that my brother and the boys will need---I have had to rent a storage space for it all! We both started to cry at all the generosity and kindness being shown to him and the boys. It is just truly amazing and mind-boggling!

    Adiana :usflag:
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited September 2005
    Isn't it incredible? For my part, as a total by-stander and observer, being as I live so far away, I find it extraordinary to look at how people react to something like this... I'm talking about the people right in the thick of it... you get a glimpse of the extremes.... on the one hand, you have all this looting and stealing, and people taking advantage of the tragedy to make good while the going lasts - and on the other, you have the selfless unprompted volunteers who are out all hours of the day and night, looking for survivors, providing food and shelter for those without.... it's just an incredible window on the Nature of the Human being.... what something like this brings out in people... :
    ...And I'm not criticising or being judgemental - it's just an eye-opener to see and watch how people behave.... :scratch:
  • ZenLunaticZenLunatic Veteran
    edited September 2005
    Update: Another way that Katrina and the tsunami are different. The victims of the tsunami got aid much quicker than the people trapped in New Orleans.
  • SimonthepilgrimSimonthepilgrim Veteran
    edited September 2005
    Today's "Glimpse" from Sogyal Rinpoche may help us with our feelings of powerlessness:
    [font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]September 5[/font]



    [font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]When someone is suffering and you find yourself at a loss to know how to help, put yourself unflinchingly in his or her place. Imagine as vividly as possible what you would be going through if you were suffering the same pain. Ask yourself: “How would I feel? How would I want my friends to treat me? What would I most want from them?”[/font]

    [font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif]When you exchange yourself for others in this way, you are directly transferring your cherishing from its usual object, yourself, to other beings. So[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] exchanging yourself for others[/font][font=Palatino, Times Roman, Times, serif] is a very powerful way of loosening the hold on you of the self-cherishing and the self-grasping of ego, and so of releasing the heart of your compassion.[/font]
  • edited September 2005
    well........ here goes my rant! :rant: the people who didn't leave new orleans are idiots, and yes some people couldn't leave but why are there two thousand school buses floating under water right now, two fu***** thousand, and why did the people in that nursing home drown like rats waiting for an evacuation bus that never came!!! and why did it take 2 days for the national guard to get in there!! they should have been waiting to deploy the minute the storm stopped. it's a classic US handle, they simulated the effect on new orleans, and the levees broke, then the scientists just figured, well since know what could happen now lets do nothing about it!! i really don't think this compares to the tsunami. the tsunami was unavoidable. in this people could have moved, the city could have had those two thousand school buses out picking people up!! ok say 100,000 people couldn't get out, fifty people per bus, that's one run for every bus!!! :rant:

    whew............. i feel so much better after criticizing my country!! :mullet:
  • edited September 2005
    Hello is anyone on right now?
  • edited September 2005
    ZenLunatic wrote:
    Update: Another way that Katrina and the tsunami are different. The victims of the tsunami got aid much quicker than the people trapped in New Orleans.

    i wouldn't believe everything the media feeds you. There are still people in the Andaman and Nicobar islands that haven't seen zip.
  • edited September 2005
    sufferer wrote:
    well........ here goes my rant! :rant: the people who didn't leave new orleans are idiots, and yes some people couldn't leave but why are there two thousand school buses floating under water right now, two fu***** thousand, and why did the people in that nursing home drown like rats waiting for an evacuation bus that never came!!! and why did it take 2 days for the national guard to get in there!! they should have been waiting to deploy the minute the storm stopped. it's a classic US handle, they simulated the effect on new orleans, and the levees broke, then the scientists just figured, well since know what could happen now lets do nothing about it!! i really don't think this compares to the tsunami. the tsunami was unavoidable. in this people could have moved, the city could have had those two thousand school buses out picking people up!! ok say 100,000 people couldn't get out, fifty people per bus, that's one run for every bus!!! :rant:

    whew............. i feel so much better after criticizing my country!! :mullet:

    Please keep in mind that you do not know what the situation was for each person that did not leave the city. There are plenty of reasons why some of those people could not leave, or tried to, and were not able to, so let's refrain from calling them "idiots". I think they have been through enough!
  • edited September 2005
    true, :banghead: i was very unjust, i judged them without knowing all the details, and i did feel bad about calling them idiots, it was a very stupid thing to say. :banghead: :bawling:
  • edited September 2005
    No biggie.......I have just been hearing a lot of people say bad things about the people in New Orleans that didn't leave and I just want to make people think more before they "bad mouth" them. :)
  • edited September 2005
    ture, i spoke out of anger, and of haste. :doh:
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