Let's Return to a Time of Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Natural disasters and weather events do not discriminate between red states and blue states. Neither should we, nor should our elected representatives.
The plight of California residents who have suffered the loss of their homes because of wildfires fanned by hurricane force winds and exacerbated by drought conditions is heartbreaking. Those families who have lost loved ones have faced even greater tragedy. Yet Donald Trump, even before he again sets foot in the Oval Office, has proposed attaching strings to disaster relief destined for California. Mike Johnson has also endorsed adding conditions before California can benefit from relief funds.
This is not one of the principles upon which this country was built. Neighbors have always helped neighbors. People used to have barn raisings for a new young farm family or to replace a barn destroyed by weather. Houses were built the same way. The practice was common in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It dwindled in the early twentieth century, although it remained in the Amish and Mennonite communities. It was revived late in the twentieth century by Habitat for Humanity.
Jimmy Carter left a legacy that should be an example for both the Democratic and Republican parties. His volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity is among the most widely known of his contributions to society and is one of the best examples we have for a life well lived. Any political figures who seek to hold public office would do well to learn from that example. Our 39th president lived his beliefs. He did not offer a lot of oratory from atop a soap box. What he said was always thoughtful, and what he did was as close to the teachings of Jesus as anyone in the modern era.
His example of volunteering one week of each year to Habitat for Humanity is a good one to follow. If your skills lie in areas other than construction or engineering, the example of giving a week of each year, but in your area of expertise, will still be rewarding, and much needed, with the frequency of natural disasters increasing with each passing year.
It is my fervent hope that we do not allow the so called leaders in Washington to start the practice of meting out disaster relief according to a state's electoral vote, as happened during the 2020 response to COVID-19 and in other instances.
Four hurricanes and two tropical storms hit the U. S. mainland during 2024. All those affected were provided relief. There were no strings attached. Although the states hardest hit were red states, the Democratic president didn't play favorites. That's the way it's supposed to be.
Let's see if we can act as the United States of America instead of allowing politicians to continue dividing us. Fifty or sixty years ago, some states voted red and some voted blue, and after each election the loser congratulated the winner, then got down to governing. Not any more. Gridlock in Congress rears it's ugly head more often and with greater intensity. Comity has become a thing of the past, but it doesn't have to remain that way. Natural disasters strike without regard to red or blue state status. Only by reuniting can we cope as a nation during a time of increasingly devastating weather events.
Division is something that benefits the rising oligarchy of the United States. Joe Biden mentioned that oligarchy in his farewell address. Jimmy Carter talked about it in a 2015 interview with Thom Hartmann. Both Twitter and Facebook have made tons of money off of polarization and division. Their owners keep getting richer every time someone posts or clicks in anger.
It's time for all of us to agree on just one thing. Any time a natural disaster strikes, whether in a red state or blue, some of our neighbors need a helping hand. Please call your representatives and senators. Let them know that disaster relief comes with no regard to the political leaning of the state or states where it occurs. No strings attached. No red tape. It's time to start being neighbors again.
Thank you to each of you for reading this. Please feel free to share as you wish. Stay safe.
. Notes:
Well stated, Robert. Although the wind seems to have died down, there is still such a need. Yes, it is important to call your Senators and Representatives telling them that relief should be given with no strings attached. Then donate to help.
If we can't unite in the wake of tragedy, rhetorically speaking, we are not the United States.