i watched the news today, o boy
I watched whatever channel had the big special on Katrina on Tuesday. I watched some of the Wednesday reportage.
My girl seems to feel a need to watch these programs. We have a special, if superficial, connection to New Orleans, which I won't go into here.
But the news specials...I don't know, don't do much for me. I mean, I have a pretty good idea what's going on there. Should I feel like a bad person, or a less concerned person, if I don't watch hour after hour of "This person lost their house. This person lost everything. This person is trying to get a bus. This person can't find a hotel room. This person watched their aunt drown".
Sucks. I know that. Sucks in unimaginable ways.
The news specials, though, are heavy on emotion and dramatic taglines, while light on information. I want to know what is going on there on the large scale, what are people doing to fix the problem. Not what people are doing to fix aunt Mathilda's house, but the big problem, which is certainly there.
Do I need to watch face after desperate face to feel the problem? Do I lack caring for switching the channel, rather than depressing the shit out of myself over what is an overwhelming, massive tragedy; a tragedy about which I can do nothing?
I don't know. I don't really get it. I feel bad for those people, and hope to christ they can find their way out of this situation. I hope like hell the city can be repaired; I plan to live there someday. If my driving to New Orleans tommorow would do a bit of good, I'd do it.
But here in my apartment in Pennsylvania, I don't see what is to be gained from crying over the news. I don't think I'm detached from the disaster, but I don't see what good will come from becoming more emotionally involved in it, either.
Tears don't help anybody, and for me, understanding isn't gained from the teevee. Understanding, and more importantly, helping is reached from inside.
The news programs seem like goosenecking at a carwreck. I know what a carwreck is about, and I have a pretty good idea what the people involved need. My heart goes out to them, but seeing their blood spewed across the highway dosen't lend understanding, and it dosen't help the people involved.
My heart goes out to the victims here, but I hope I'll be excused if I turn off the news vultures on the tee vee.
Instead, turn off the tee vee, put your eyes on the road, and
go help, if you can.
