Saturday, September 03, 2005

Hurricane Katrina and Ways You Can Help


The Lonely Note is a music blog. We don't get involved in external matters very often. But when extraordinary events occur that rip out the hearts and souls of our entire nation, it's hard to turn a blind eye. In the near week since Hurricane Katrina ravaged our gulf coast, thousands of our fellow citizens have perished, lost their homes and had their entire livelyhoods destroyed. New Orleans, a pinnacle city in the development of jazz and blues, has been nearly wiped off the map. As we speak, thousands of residents of that magnificent city remain trapped in their homes or displaced in refugee areas.

It angers me very much to see the delayed response our federal government has given in aiding the gulf coast. The current administration finds no trouble in sending aid to tsunami victims half a globe away or thousands of troops to liberate Iraq, yet when faced with a domestic disaster like the recent hurricane they are slow to action. The Lonely Note is not a political blog. I do not wish to alienate any of our readers with my views. However, every single one of us possess an innate civic duty as residents of the world's greatest power to do everything in our capacity to help these people in whatever ways we can. Below, I have listed resources you and I and others can tap into to provide even just a minor amount of relief.

As John F. Kennedy once proclaimed in his famous innaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." This is our chance to do for our country.

Have a great Labor Day weekend (if you can), and thank-you for hearing me out. More music news and reviews soon to follow.


Ways to Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina:

Network for Good
FEMA List of Disaster Relief Organizations
American Red Cross
Hurricane Housing
MercyCorps

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