“I passionately believe in heroes, but I think the world has changed its criteria in determining who it describes as a hero.”
English actor, director, and producer, Richard Attenborough, was born on this day in 1923 (died 2014).
I think what Attenborough was saying was maybe we shouldn’t look to Hollywood for heroes.
We’ve already seen many examples of real life heroes as Texas continues to deal with Harvey. When the waters recede, recovery will take a long time, and the emotional and material losses will linger for months, if not years.
I went on two post-Katrina construction trips with missions teams from my church. I was far from a hero, but I did what little I could.
It’s too early to speculate about going to Texas to help the area with recovery. Right now it’s keeping people safe and getting people out. That’s not my skill set, but if it’s yours, consider it. My cousin and her husband were evacuated by boat yesterday because water was soon to be released from one of the dams (before it failed). They managed to get out with one bag apiece and the cat.
All over the Internet I’ve seen people arguing about how the area should have been evacuated. Many did leave. Many stayed not anticipating that it would be this bad. But the other reality is that millions of people could not have evacuated in time. When Rita hit, roadways were clogged and people were stranded. With the flood waters coming people would have been stranded in the water with no hope of rescue.
Now is not the time for second guessing decisions.
There are hundreds if not thousands of people doing heroic things right now. From hundreds of miles away the best we can do for now is to pray.
We will soon see the need for fresh water to be shipped to the area. For food. For supplies. For clothing.
Who knows what this will do to the school systems and when the students can return?
This is not the time for a hero like Captain America. But it’s time for all of us, as Americans, to be heroes in whatever way we can.
Money. Time. Prayers.
All are needed.
And, please, I don’t know at this point what I’ll be able to do to help. But I want it to be more than changing my profile picture on Facebook. That’s a nice sentiment, but it really means nothing.
Make sure your loved ones are safe. Then reach out to see what you can do.
Check the FEMA website, or check in with The Salvation Army or Red Cross.
This is so much more important than statues.
FIVE THINGS FOR YOUR TUESDAY
Civilians and strangers become heroes for Harvey victims
CNN
In the thick of disaster, help doesn’t always come from a helicopter or a rescuer in a uniform. Sometimes, it’s a makeshift fleet of pickup trucks and jon boats, speeding toward danger as almost everyone else is trying to get out.
Hurricane Harvey: 3 more days of rain in store for Houston as water keeps rising
ABC News
Hurricane Harvey, which slammed into the Texas coast this weekend and wreaked havoc along the way, has weakened to a tropical storm but not before dropping an improbable 25 inches of rain on Houston in only 36 hours, with more expected.
Richmond Statue Removal Will Cost $3 Million In Tax Revenue
The Republican Standard
That’s $3 million sucked out of Richmond’s public education system, a system that is so dilapidated and underperforming that almost 150 positions remain unfilled as students start attending classes, according to one source.
Violence by far-left protesters in Berkeley sparks alarm
Los Angeles Times
The clashes came despite widespread calls from activists and elected officials across the Bay Area for peaceful civil disobedience and underscore Berkeley’s growing reputation for violent reaction by the far left.
Why the Left Can’t Let Go of Racism
The Wall Street Journal
Such people—and the American left generally—have a hunger for racism that is almost craven. The writer Walker Percy once wrote of the “sweetness at the horrid core of bad news.” It’s hard to witness the media’s oddly exhilarated reaction to, say, the death of Trayvon Martin without applying Percy’s insight. A black boy is dead. But not all is lost. It looks like racism.
AND, FINALLY…
A little Glen Campbell in tribute to the Texas coast.