It feels like a sin to pass up a opportunity to unite.

[derien]

I don't even feel like I should be posting/should have posted at all in these last three days. 

It may be selfish of me, but I do wish bravecows would post about what's going on from her point of view.  Now the death toll is up to 67,000, and almost can't help but go up more as lack of drinking water and the general mess leads to disease. 

I want to make a donation to somebody to help, but I only have $150 to last the next two weeks.  Maybe I could get by on less.  Maybe I should put it on my credit card.  I mean, that's really what the U.S. gov't is doing, at this point. 

On the other hand, IMHO, the country would not be so far in debt if it weren't for the war in Iraq.  And, even ignoring the fact I don't think we should be in Iraq at all, I'm amazed that the fighting in Iraq hasn't just stopped.  Set aside the differences, this disaster affects a highly mixed Muslim and non-Muslim population, and everyone should be sending relief efforts to the area.  What would go farther toward healing our differences than working together toward a common goal?  If I thought there was a God I would think he'd sent this disaster the day after Christmas just FOR such a purpose, and ignoring such an opportunity just seems like a huge sin even if I don't believe in said God. 

Who I should donate to?  Who's going to be the most effective in these circumstances?  There's a huge list of aid agencies on the CNN site.  But, even before this happened, I was considering making a donation to Doctors Without Borders.

Someday a tsunami will hit the U.S. east coast.  Last night I dreamed that I was at work and we knew the wave was on it's way. 

Comments

[camwyn]

Myself, I'm going to be donating to the Red Cross, but you know why I'm doing that. I'll tell you this much, though- I'm bloody glad I signed up for monthly donation to Medecines Sans Frontieres last month. They're good people and they're often willing to stay in hellholes when even the ICRC's people have to pull out.

[beowabbit]

Out of curiosity, why the Red Cross? derien may know, but I don’t.

[camwyn]

I spent the past six years working for the largest American Red Cross chapter in the state of New Jersey. I was their computer person, but I also went out on disaster operations within the United States about once a year, along with a few local disasters like fires and Hurricane Floyd. Also served at Ground Zero on 11 and 12 September, before my chapter CEO told me to let the volunteers to go in and stay at the chapter keeping the computers running.

I might be in the for-profit world now, but I have long-running loyalties.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I tend to feel like the money in Iraq would have been better saved for relief efforts.

The US West Coast is also up for a tsunami, perhaps in the near future. The US has better warning systems than India, but who knows if that will help?

[derien.livejournal.com]

I tend to feel like the money in Iraq would have been better saved for relief efforts.

Oh yeah. If that was not already abundantly clear, I agree 100%.

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

It may be selfish of me, but I do wish bravecows would post about what's going on from her point of view.

I just did. I'm afraid I haven't posted about what's going on because, to be honest, what's going on hasn't materially affected me. I haven't lost anyone, I mean, and we seem to be going on much as usual. In view of which, pretending to feel anything like the grief of those who have been more directly affected seems to me barbarous.

[derien.livejournal.com]

I haven't lost anyone, I mean, and we seem to be going on much as usual.

I'm really glad to hear that, because, as the death toll has gone up so drastically since the 27th (last time we heard from you), I was afraid you might have found that you had actually lost people you knew.

pretending to feel anything like the grief of those who have been more directly affected seems to me barbarous.

I pride myself on having a good imagination, but I don't know if I can imagine what people who are in such situations are feeling.

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

I was afraid you might have found that you had actually lost people you knew

Choy, choy. :) Around where I'm at we feel the earthquake as much as you do, probably -- my family and friends are safe, afaik, and I'm just hoping this remains true. I mean, I'm pretty confident it will, but it doesn't do to tempt fate. *knocks wood*