Lessons from Katrina

Disaster can bring out the very worst in people, and some of that certainly occurred in the wake of Katrina. Mostly, though, there was a lot of generosity of human spirit. People would cry out over the water, "help, we need drinking water," or "can anyone tell me what's going on? Our radio isn't working". No matter what was asked, we'd find a way to reply and, when appropriate, supply whatever was requested. Sometimes this entailed using boards to create catwalks between homes, other times somebody would use a tire to float supplies down the line. Never once during this experience did anyone ask "wait, before I help, are you gay or black?"

In the days which followed Katrina, in the shelters, we took care of one another, we watched out for one another's children to keep them safe. Again, there was no concern if anyone was gay or black or striped or pink and purple. All of us had been left to die. Together, we'd gotten through as human beings.

Politics as usual would have you think divisive issues like race or sexual orientation are important to the very survival of "your kind." That's a convenient lie. Your kind are your fellow human beings who share in your hopes and dreams, who hope for a better life, who work towards attaining it, and, in the dark of night when all other resources fail you, will be the only people who will help lift you and yours back into the light. Your government will leave you to drown. Your government will leave your corpse to rot in the gutters of New York 5 years after an unspeakable atrocity. Your fellow human beings will do what they can to help you when the need is dire. Black, gay, undecided, it doesn't matter.

So, when it comes to speaking up, I'm in favor of speaking support for my fellow human beings. Black, white, yellow, gay, bi, straight as an arrow, who freaking cares? We need to lose the divisiveness and vote for human rights, not some artificially constructed subcategory of rights for him but not for her.

-fl

If ever in doubt always refer to Lesson #1.