Friday, September 02, 2005

Fragility of civilization

The disaster unfolding before our eyes is even more troubling because it could have been mitigated in so many ways. I don't need to add anything more to the disbelief and anger spreading across the nation but it is hard not to. Among the many lessons to be drawn is that we are just a few days away from a complete breakdown of civil society. If ever there was an argument that government serves an essential role then this is it. It is quite clear who was able to get out and who was not. To blame the victims for their predicament is beyond reproach. If a city gives a mandatory evacuation order it must also provide a means for evacuation and resources for the evacuees. I can only hope that this tragedy will make us reevaluate what a just and fair civilization really means. Given that "values" was an issue in the last election I will quote directly from the bible:
The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor; the wicked does not understand such concern. Proverbs 29:7

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