Katrina

I've been avoiding this topic because it's just so distressing and confusing. We keep getting terrible images of it all. Last night we saw a BBC reporter in a boat going into one of the neighborhoods still under water. He found a family of five children including a tiny baby trapped in a house with their dead mother lying on the bed in the back bedroom. Those poor children looked like zombies. They must've been starving and in a complete state of shock. And that's just one story. There must be hundreds like them still out there.

One of the things that I do want to say is that I've read more than once in the US press criticisms about the lack of help from other countries. As of this writing, all of the aid offered by the UK and a number of European countries, including France, has been turned away by the US government. I don't know if it's from shame or a misplaced sense of pride that they've refused the help. It just doesn't make sense.

The one thing the US government has accepted are the European gas reserves. I find that infuriating. Surely saving lives should be more important than controlling gas prices. I know that Americans need gas but surely we could get through this by conserving what we already have. We should be willingly making changes to free up gas for the rescue crews, not running out in a panic and fillling up every container we own with gas for our own use. The focus right now (and days ago) should be on rescuing, feeding, clothing, and providing medical care where needed for the survivors.

And just to put things in perspective as far as gas prices are concerned, since releasing the reserves here the prices have gone up in Europe too. They're around a pound a litre at many places now. Keep in mind that there are about four litres to an American gallon so that means about four pounds a gallon - $8 a gallon. The cheapest I've seen gas in England is around $5 a gallon but the big difference is that the majority of people don't drive cars with big engines, trucks or SUVs. There's a need to conserve gas and a real concern for the environment.

I really hope that we learn something from this experience. I hope we learn to take care of each other better regardless of race or social level, to make responsible choices regarding the vehicles we drive and that we definitely take a good hard look at our President. I'm not even going to begin my tirade on George Bush. If I start I might not be able to stop.