New Orleans: We are on our own (an atheist rant)

[Modem Butterfly]

There may be a light at the end of this tunnel, but there is no one keeping it. No one will swoop down and magically dry out the city of New Orleans. There is no deus ex machina that will present itself to fix the levees and/or evacuate the survivors. The cavalry isn't coming. There will be no miracle of Dunkirk this time. And whoever writes the story of New Orleans, it won't be Horatio Alger.

Like every other American in the history of our nation, I have always believed, on a certain childish level, in the invulnerability of America. "It can't happen here," Well, it is happening here. "We will be okay," Not for a long, long time kiddies. We are so fucking far from okay now it's almost comical. "We will overcome," Some of us will, many of us won't.

We are left on our own, people. You and I can quibble about gods or karma or pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps all damn day but it won't put a single butt on a single seat to Houston and it won't get grandma out of that attic. "Hands that help are better than lips that pray," said Bertrand Russel, and we should heed those words now more than ever. Pray if you must. Complain about W or the "liberal meja" or the white folks or the black folks but for crying out loud DO SOMETHING. We can't just wait for a hero to emerge any minute now. The time is now. And we are the only hero visible for miles and miles.

Edited for spelling.

[Winston702]

1. AMEN!!!

This is the first post to get it right in days.

[Modem Butterfly]

2. Kicking my own, damnit

:kick:

[Beetwasher]

3. Indeed

kick

[beam me up scottie]

4. You said it, MB!

Kick!

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. Nominated. Wonderful.

[arwalden]

6. "Hands that help are better than lips that pray"

Indeed.

[mzmolly]

7. As a non-atheist I agree with every word.

Thanks.

[ananda]

8. hmm, as a believer that..

.. social darwinism is the order of the day for this American government, yes, disaster victims are pretty much on their own.

It's dog eat dog.. survival of the fittest.

Sue

[Modem Butterfly]

10. That may be the administration's stance

But it doesn't have to be the stance of the American people.

[YankeyMCC]

9. Bullseye

[snappyturtle]

11. kick

We may be on our own--we really always have been--it's just a facade, the things the government wants us to believe that they do for our welfare! BUT, the problem is, while we're on our own, THEY'RE watching--every move we make---every step we take. I wish they'd just leave us alone to be on our own, dreamer that I am.

[mongo]

12. Well said

and I wish that more people caught in N.O. had your attitude.

[Modem Butterfly]

14. Thanks, but...

...it's easy to have this attitude when you're clean and dry and have plenty to eat and drink. The people of New Orleans lack even these basic luxuries. It's up to us who do to step up to the plate for them.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

13. Nominated, great post

[mopinko]

15. quoting dick durbin- "the ownership society means

we are all in this ALONE!" said at ss hearing.

[BurtWorm]

16. Amen, sister!

Very well said. :applause:

[Modem Butterfly]

17. You said amen

Tee-hee!

:evilgrin:

[lildreamer316]

18. Helps those who help themselves.

and I'm a damn Wiccan.

[Modem Butterfly]

20. Well there you go then

If you're a wiccan you probably believe in the three-fold rule, right?

[Gelliebeans]

19. Absodamnlutely MB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t