When Will We Ever Learn?

My heart is heavy today and has been for the past couple of days as I see the devastation that is blanketing the Southern states.

People are losing lives and livelihood all over Tennessee and Mississippi because of natural disaster and nature is being destroyed while business owners on the Gulf Coast are scrambling to figure out how they are going to keep their heads above water (no pun intended) because of a man-made disaster.

I have just one question.

Why does it take two seconds when a natural disaster (i.e. flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake) hits for neighbors and friends to help each other out but it takes sweet forever for the government to step in a take action on a man-made disaster than could have been prevented?

My heart goes out to the people of Nashville, even more the whole state of Tennessee, right now because of what they are having to deal with. Nineteen people in Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky were killed because of the storms that hit the South this weekend. People all over Nashville are doing whatever they can to ease the destruction that is being caused by the flooding river there.

Glory be to God for those people willing to help a situation that could not have been prevented and that we, as a human race, could not control.

My heart also goes out to the people on the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Fishermen and business owners are seeing their livelihood flushed down the toilet in front of their eyes and the whole world is watching God's creation be destroyed because our government is dragging ass (excuse my choice of words) in efforts to get this mess cleaned up.

There is a difference between these two situations. One was completely out of the realm of our control. The other was completely preventable.

Also we as civilians are able to extend a hand to those affected by the floods. We can't do that with oil spill situation. That is a circumstance in which the government has to step in and do whatever they are supposed to do best, when we can't.

The oil that is flood in the Gulf of Mexico right now isn't just something that can be wiped of with a towel. This is crude oil. It soaks into your skin and makes you very sick. It eats away at the materials that boats are made of. It KILLS plants and animals in the water and ultimately kills the ocean's ecosystems.

Now, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to government and economy and all of that stuff. But I do know that people's lives are more important than red tape and money.

This event happened two weeks ago and it's getting worse by the hour. When will our government learn that if it continues to neglect its people, they will have many more issues to deal with than just how much something will cost. And if you don't invest in the lives of the people who actually make your country what it is, then you aren't investing in that country that you are running. You are killing it. Two hours on the ground just to show that you've seen that damage doesn't mean squat if you aren't taking action to do something about it.

I could go to Nashville today and watch other people scoop buckets full of water out of their basements and cut down trees, but if I'm not helping, what's the point in my being there.

So, goverment, take a lesson from your people. Stop talking about what you are going to do and just DO SOMETHING!

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Check out the video below of the floods in Nashville. Word on Twitter is that people have come out in droves to help in the clean-up process. If you are in the area and want to help or even if you aren't and what to send a donation, contact the Red Cross. Also, if you are in the area and want to help, head over to the Crosspoint Church-Bellevue campus. They are sending out teams.