I haven't been posting as much as I usually do lately. The sadness

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

that has come about by the treatment of the Katrina victims and the bringing to light of how America treats her poor has had a profound effect on me.

The Trent Lott and Bush comments regarding Lott's home, the cake and guitar photos while people were drowning, the nursing home tragedies while the Republican talking heads said that these people decided to become poor and they are reaping what they have sown, the international disgrace of the most powerful nation on earth watching and talking while the less fortunate die agonizing deaths from the lack of potable water or minimal medical care...

I watched the news stations for a long time eventually trying to escape into old movies and sports. I tried drinking, I tried eating, I tried forgetting, pretending that this country was not what it is.

It has not gone away, Bush spoke Thursday night in a surreal setting, promising things to heal the wounds in a way that would only benefit the wealthy. The idea of a viable inquiry into the failures surrounding the Katrina disaster was wiped away by the wealthy and powerful. It has not gone away, it has come to live in my home. And the media tries to tell us all that things are great now.

This has become a government and a country of smoke and mirrors.

Of lies and deceit.

Of retribution and greed.




Katrina has shown us that this is either the time Americans must act or that this is the country for whom the bell tolls.

[chaska]

1. Can we sue these bastards for mental distress...?

I can definitely relate.

[Tace]

2. Cheer Up -- We're Taking Our Country Back From The Fascists

I get blue, too, from time to time. : )

[Beam Me Up]

15. With a little help from our friends!

:hi:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

41. Perhaps one day

history will show that the Katrina victims did not die in vain.


Okay, maybe that's going too far. But you know what I mean.

[The Doctor.]

3. It is sickening...

These people of privilege and power cannot put the shoe on the other foot.

I have often imagined what would happen to a person like * if he were stranded in a third-world country where he was completely unnown and without money.
He would have to learn the language and how to do hard work.

He would fail.

He would wind up a beggar for at least a little while, then learn what it is really like to struggle.

I truly despise those with no concept of value or consequences because they have been handed everything on a silver platter.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. He would fail.

[MissMarple]

4. I think a lot of us are depressed or angry.

Maintaining a perspective in the face of tragedy is hard. :hug:

[rosesaylavee]

6. Go to your local healthfood store and stock up on B-vitamins...

preferably capsules for fast action. B-vitamins are vital for mental health and are the first to be used up by your body when you are under stress - whether mental or physical.

Feel better. We need everyone to keep healthy. We won't let them win!

:hug:

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Posting is how I deal with it

And not just here. On other boards where I usually avoid political discussions, I'm not letting RW talking points slide. I don't start arguments, but I often finish them.

[adarling]

8. maybe this is crazy

but i can't sleep anymore. I just keep thinking about all those poor people and just how sickening people are and realize even in this situation people will never change. Some will always be evil and cold in these kinds of conditions. It just makes me so upset to realize how much evil there is in this world. Maybe not realize, i am not naive to believe that, but just the outright crap that comes out of repukes and everyone else's mouths.

[zippy890]

26. I've had trouble sleeping too

Your not crazy, you are a conscious person. That is a good thing, thank goodness for those of us with a conscience, who care about people other than ourselves.

These are hard times, a dark dark period in our country, but I'm beginning to think this had to happen, not Katrina specifically, but a severe alienation of the people from this horrible, criminal government.

There will be better times, but first we must struggle through this process of awakening as a people, & its going to painful but in the end we will have our country back.

Take heart and believe in the basic goodness of the human spirit. It will triumph.

[calimary]

9. I understand your grief.

I, on the other hand, am obsessing on DU and other internet sites like almost never before. Sheesh!

It concerns me that people can still blindly support this asshole in OUR White House, but I do take comfort from the polls that do NOT seem to be turning around for him. Well deserved, I might add.

That's why we NEED each other, my sad friend.

WE HERE need each other.

Maybe that's why I've been so driven to obsess on DU in the past few weeks. Just DRIVEN. OY!

WE NEED each other.

We have each other to turn to for comfort and solidarity, and maybe a little creative stirring. Find your strength here. Read a lot, if you aren't up to posting.

You have lots of sympathy, I know. This whole Katrina experience has been a sucker-punch to America. EVERYONE I know is a little more muted, subdued, sad, bewildered. Let's just remember that somewhere in there, there are a few more awakenings. It happened with some in the media, who knows for how long, but it happened. It's happened to a few who've offered testimonials here of the neighbor or in-law or coworker or boss whose eyes have been opened. I would venture to say that such a welcome phenomenon is happening more toward our side than toward the side of the bad guys. I certainly don't know of anyone who's converted to rampant bush-worship, or trickle-down economics, or the idea of cutting back the federal government, as a result of the Katrina fiasco. I don't know of ANYONE who is MORE in favor of the war, or of diverting government resources or funding to other shit than the Katrina victims now. I don't see that conversion AT ALL. I see things going in the other direction.

True, it may not be quite enough to shake 'em up and OUT in Washington. May not be quite enough to send us to the Promised Land of IMPEACHMENT. But I think we're closer to both those outcomes, realistically speaking, than we ever have been since this nightmare began in December 2000. I truly do. And I think if things continue this way, 2006 will be OURS.

Please try to find your way back to being hopeful, if you can. If not, perhaps you need a little more time to mourn. Because this IS a mournful time. Mournful for what we've seen in New Orleans. Mournful for what we all know those sights, sounds, and scenes mean, and how we got to that point. Mournful for what it says about America - to us and our fellow Americans AND to everybody looking in from outside our borders. Mournful for the bad road our country took when we turned sharply to the wrong, letting smooth-talking nice ol' fellas like Ronald Reagan start steering us toward the cliff with his fairy stories about welfare queens and trickle-down economics and "getting the government off your back." Mournful for our country having continued its romance with the Dark Side to the extent that it gave us not one but TWO bushes and a relentless and ridiculous persecution of the only really compassionate, capable, and qualified president (Clinton) we've had in all that time.

Mourning of things like that takes time. You need to allow yourself time. Be gentle with yourself. This is not an easy journey for ANY of us. And if you need sympathy, support, and understanding, I daresay you'll find it here, especially.

:hug:

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

11. Thanks for such a thoughtful reply. It begs comparison with 9-11

On September 11th, 2001 Americans were harmed by non-Americans. Today we have seen Americans harmed by Americans on a scale not scene since Wounded Knee.

Peace.

[marions ghost]

38. nice post Calimary

I particularly appreciate your paragraph about the necessity for a period of mourning in light of what has happened in the Gulf. Our guilty leaders are no help there--far too false in their official nanosecond of mourning. I liked the way you also mentioned mourning for the important things that have been lost in the last two decades. It's time to face that as an extended period of loss also. It's all connected.

Katrina was a mind-blowing series of events that shocked a lot of people to the core. Every day that week we all expected to see recovery, rescue, aid, sanity, leadership. And every day it became more and more clear that chaos reigned while innocent people suffered and died on TV...and I suspect millions watching helpless cried. I am grateful for the compassion and concern shown by those at DU and around the country.

Katrina washed away many lingering veils of illusion about our current leadership and the path this country is on. What we witnessed was an unforgiveable betrayal of the victims all over the Gulf, but especially there in New Orleans, turned suddenly into a sick episode of Survivor Island. It was grotesque. It was shameful. It was barbaric. One should not be "getting over it" too soon. It was like a whirlwind of truth socked the whole country, right in the heart. Only the most callous were not affected.

[HEAVYHEART]

60. Damn

Excellent fucking post. I needed that. Thank you.

[Digit]

61. Great post Calimary

and I agree with everything you said.

I just want to add that I have found it therapeutic (for me) to write emails to the media expressing my sadness and outrage.

To all DU'ers:grouphug:

[asjr]

10. Today in America is the worst time I have ever been

through. I went through WW2, Korea, Vietnam,etc. I never lost my attitude of looking forward to better days. I can't say that anymore. I simply can't. I think Katrina and aftermath has finally been the last straw. I fear for all of us and our children and grandchildren. If the Republican party has any sense at all, they will persuade Bush to resign. They will fall also. He will cut all the good programs in order to help his campaign donors. He is a puppet and a fool.

[Erika]

12. It is the saddest time in our history

Our country is being stolen from us by a global corporate king and his minions.

But it has united us and many U.S. citizens are waking up. We may have a revolution brewing right now.

[mwb970]

24. I agree.

This is a monumental tragedy. The Bush administration is the worst thing to happen to this planet in a long, long time. And it pains me to know that my fellow citizens - Americans, I thought - brought this about. We did this to ourselves, folks.

[calimary]

Isn't that something? I thought about that the other day.

I found myself wondering how many tears have been shed since bush first "took" office. I watched some of the coverage of the then-marooned survivors in New Orleans, and how many people were so visibly terrified, horrified, weeping, shell-shocked - the utter desolation. Amazing. We've seen three prominent plagues of that since he stepped onto the big stage. How many people have cried - on his watch?

Mind-bending, isn't it?

There seems to be a great deal of misery especially now because, at least it seems to me from what I've noticed, people are so much more vocal about it. I hear people talking about it all over the place. After we finished at the pediatrician's the other day, my son wanted to go stroll through this audio-video boutique. The sales guy and I got to talking, because every big screen TV in the place was on CNN and they were showing some of the hurricane devastation in a slow pan across a desolated, wreckage-strewn landscape. He voiced the same revulsion as I did, and we both agreed - "hey, I had nothing to do with this! I tried to stop it. I didn't vote for this guy! Tried to warn people against him. Wasn't me who foisted him on our country."

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

32. Our country is now killing people here and abroad.

We may not like it, but it is in our name.

[Missy M]

13. I know when I hear explanations such as - it was their own fault for...

not evacuating - I want to scream. The very people who say this don't understand what it is like not to own a car, a credit card to stay in a hotel, money to stay in a hotel or to start over with nothing left. I even heard Charles Barclay say those people need to get an education, can you believe it. What some people don't seem to understand is not everyone can be a high paid professional athlete, the CEO of GE, a high paid entertainer, or to the wealthy born and I might add a high paid BIG MOUTH BLOWHARD such as Rush Limbaugh. I wonder where Charles Barclay might be if he had not been a pro basketball player. There are many reasons for poverty and it isn't always a persons fault. This country has got to do all it can to help the less fortunate and perhaps that means a few less bombs, jet fighters, tanks and weapons of mass destruction. Give the little guy a chance instead of throwing everything the big guys way.

[MissWaverly]

45. the problem is there are constant hurricanes

they can't flee for each one and every day the cost of living goes up,
and your pay raise that you waited a year for is gone in 1 big glup by
your insurance going up $30 a month. There are so many extra bills, the
gas pump, the utilities. These people were not ignorant or lazy, they were just caught up in the same spiral we are.

[DanCa]

14. The name fits you my friend. You care about the little guy.

:hugs: I know how you feel. I have been evading the media moguls the weigh Denny Hasterat avoids the bathroom scale . If it wasn't for the Daily Show, and Real Time and DU i'd be in isolation

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

33. Thanks, Dan.

I'm there with you.

Something's got to change.

[illuminaughty]

52. Your post was beautiful

Have hope, my friend. I have barely been able to be in public these last weeks because my sadness is overwhelming and my contempt for those that have seemed to blindly plod ahead with business as usual is at a breaking point.

However, for some reason, people have always felt comfortable opening up to me. Total strangers, everyone. And just when I'm ready to condemn someone, they end up blowing me away by telling me how devastated they are by this. The immensity of the tragedy is almost too much for them to comprehend, but most are already involved or preparing to join in a relief effort. What hides behind the surface is always surprising to me.

[bliss_eternal]

16. It isn't much, but I just wanted to offer you

a cyber hug--
:hug:

I've had a tough time with all of this, too. So I know what you speak of. Every few days or so, I've just burst into tears. :(

Like you, I decided I had to spend less time here--just so I can function and focus on something other than the horrors in today's society.

But I have read things here that have allowed me to be a tad hopeful...

Thank you for sharing this, and allowing some of us to know that we aren't alone in feeling a bit stuck in the morass of sadness and mourning. Thank you for allowing us to know where you are--and to allow us to attempt to support and comfort you.

Again, I know it isn't much--but I understand... Hugs to you...

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

54. Thank you, bliss_eternal.

I think I'm slowly headed toward the anger stage of mourning.

[Lifelong Protester]

17. Here is another friend trying to give you some hope

I, too, have been edgy, tearful, and using the word 'revolution' a lot more in my daily conversation. I have torn myself away from the TV now, and spend more time here, gaining hope from like -minded people.
I don't know what is more saddening and angering, the fact that the regime in power acted so slowly in their response to this disaster or the regime's sorry-ass 'heartfelt' response now. Bush reminded me of Ollie North testifying in congress. Both made me about as outraged as I could be.

But I have hope that maybe we have reached a tipping point here, and a bright, bright light has now been cast onto the horrible effects of poverty, and the unjust treatment of the lower classes.
We have to stick together here, bolster each other when needed, and keep on with the fight.

[Hissyspit]

18. I haven't posted much either. It has all been overwhelming.

Just the idea that I knew about the levee breach before the President of the United States*, boggles my mind, on top of all the other mind-boggling stuff that has happened over the past four/five years.

[bonito]

19. I know what you mean

But as I have told my son it is better to go through life aware than asleep. no one really wants to waken when in a comfortable slumber its painful waking up, now if we could only make a difference, mabe not enough to change everything all at once, but I have heard when I change the world changes, and I can do that. Peace

[calimary]

27. I like that quote:

I have heard when I change the world changes, and I can do that. Peace


Really nice! I copied it into my file of favorite quotations, if you don't mind. With proper attribution of course.

Yeah - and as long as we're attempting to buck each other up here, I will share something that may help toward that end a little bit. I posted on another thread long since sunk that there was this little impromptu fundraiser going on at our neighborhood dog park. Half the people who live in this area can be found at one time or other up there with their dogs. Every Friday, most of the summer, they had this little lemonade stand to raise money to support the dog park. In September, they changed it to a month-long Katrina Relief campaign. Everything goes to Katrina relief for the animal rescue group Noah's Wish, that's been operating in New Orleans, and the Lousiana Veteriarians Association. While I watched, people were buying three-dollar lattes and cheaper bottled water with 20-dollar bills and refusing the change.

I never did find out how much they made, so when I was up there Friday for this week's one, I asked. And I was astounded. Eighteen-hundred dollars!!! Which they deposited immediately and then issued in check form to those two charities. I'm guessing they sent $900 to each of 'em.

There's little spontaneous, off-the-beaten-path stuff all over the place wherein you can find some cheer. Sure worked for me that evening. :D

[applegrove]

20. It comes in stages & waves. And the hopefull still seek to see the old

world they loved. But after the loss - comes the strength to walk on and do the things you need to do to make it right. Elections 2006 - be there! And grab your co-election volunteer by the wedges that separate you and hold on tight.

[AspenRose]

21. I heard an interview with Graham Nash recently

I'm paraphrasing, but he said he's glad life is full-circle...the pendulum always swings back and it will swing back to bite the GOP in the butt (he said "ass") sooner or later.

Courage :grouphug:

[im10ashus]

22. Bless your heart.

I know you have been through hell and my thoughts are with you.

Go beat the shit out of W!!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4802337&mesg_id=4802337

[Fire Walk With Me]

23. Reconsider your namesake. Insanity is universal, so fight it.

[bonito]

25. 1 vote ? I think we are all in this boat. let's swim together. n/t

[La Coliniere]

28. When you walk through a storm

hold your head up high
and don't be afraid of the dark

Yeah I know it's hard sometimes.
I feel your pain. Believe me, I do.

[demo dutch]

29. Same here, I am just sick over it all! especially over the people who

re-elected the bastard

[Bluerthanblue]

30. oh, Dear Tom, I

truly understand how you feel. And while my moods shift from
rage, to despair, I live in a situation where this is the only outlet for honestly speaking my heart.

Apart from the 'professionals' who keep me grounded, and 'keeping on'. Katrina, and the exposure of how broken america really is, depressed me too. Much more than 9/11 ever did. In large part because we had to face the suffering of our fellow humans, and most of us, were unable to do anything to tangibly ease it, or 'make it stop'. That is like being tied up, and watching someone you love be tortured.... and it sucks.

The second really difficult thing, is that it proved once and for all, that those who 'claim' to be 'caring' for us- those who stood up, and pledged to provide, and govern, and HELP the citizens of this country turned out to be the abusive, neglectful, selfish, shallow lost in material lust humans that many of us believed they were, but hoped they weren't.

And the initial outrage from across 'party' lines and financial divides, seems to have faded, or paled, bought off by foolish public relation stunts, and buzz words, planted by scheming masterminds in the MSM.

I'm with you Tom- If Katrina, and the exposure of the deceit, depraved, and evil governmental agenda doesn't bring about a TRUE outrage, and change of direction, I hope the bell DOES toll on this 'experiment' called America. We are at a final crossroad I believe- and I hope you will treat yourself gently, and gather your courage and strength as best you can, for the coming weeks-

I tend to use alot of words, to try and get my mixed up thoughts across- and lose people on route.

I CARE about you, and every one of us, especially those who have been silenced by the rich and powerful, but, oddly, I even care about them.... because I would never be able to live in their skin, and not hate myself forever, knowing the evil I had been a party too, and an enabler of.

Please do something good for yourself tonite. Whatever brings you special comfort, or reassurance- I'm comforted by the people I've come to 'know' here, at the amazing 'goodness' that fills so much of this place- and that gives me reason to hope, at least for a while longer-

Hope you find some peace-
I'm thinking of you-
and wishing you comfort,

blu

[bonito]

31. 2 votes. this thread is an outpouring from our hearts

and this is the way the world will change. empower our intentions.Peace

[tlsmith1963]

34. If it Weren't For Anti-Depressants...

...I don't know how I would hold on. My mother says that I always seem to care too much. Maybe I do. All I know is that this situation is breaking my heart. So I know how you feel. And it angers me to see young people who are so self-absorbed that they don't see what is happening. In the '60s we had Hippies. My generation went through punk rock. What is there for these kids? They will be inheriting this world, & I think they should be more angry. They should have angry, meaningful music. Instead, they are so boring & materialistic that it makes me sick. What's going to happen to them if this country collapses? I don't think they will be able to handle it.

Tammy

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

35. It's simple. We have to bite the bullet and commit to change things.

We need to do what it is going to take.

We need to commit to sacrifice, because that's what it's going to take this time.

[Bluerthanblue]

37. your Mother is so wrong...

you can never care too much.- NEVER.
It hurts to be human- it hurts to be 'in community'. But if we stop feeling, we allow suffering to continue un-abated. I was pre-adolescent during the late 60's. But old in the soul- and a rebel with many causes, and lots of anger and energy-
The music today is really changing, much to my delight- My oldest listens to A Perfect Circle, and lots of alternitive music that speaks about the flawed world we like to pretend we aren't.
Growing up in poverty has taught us alot of ingenuity- humility, and gratitude for what others miss.

BRAND new underwear was my son's only wish one christmas.... I cried over that- but I see now, how much we have learned not to take anything for granted. And to see usefulness in the oddest things.

Remember Tammy, while you feel the pain so acutely, you also know the joy as only those who have left themselves open to being 'fully human' can. And that is worth the pain..... so worth it.-

peace,
blu

[Ripley]

36. .

[stevedeshazer]

39. "Darkness is only driven out with light, not more darkness."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let there be light. Springtime is just around the corner.

Ah, shit. Nevermind.

Can we talk about this dude some more? :)

[bonito]

40. Yea, give him a break

every one knows who his uncle is.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

55. Somewhere, there's a picture of his uncle from a DUI...

[natrat]

42. not much we can do for folks far away but give some $$

even if only a little.I'm a little over the red cross but the iberia aspca and a bunch of other causes have made me feel a tad less powerless.As far as the grand scheme i try not to think about it too much or it is sickening. Not sure but this might be a new frontier for america re. facism and corruption so faith in institutions is bound to end in heartbreak. I saw a cool bumper sticker the other day---STAY HUMAN

[lonestarnot]

43. Hang in there Tom... I've been telling myself for a couple of weeks

"and this too shall pass." Sending money... for animals...donating to Salvation Army tomorrow. D.C. next week....

[shadowknows69]

44. This has killed me inside even worse than 9/11

Even in the immediacy of its horror and the pure shock of seeing the first tower on fire but not yet knowing it was an attack until seeing the second one on live tv. Katrina will prove to have been more costly in lives than 9/11 sadly, unless you count the subsequent wars of course, and the fact that the Government was able to be crueler and more evil than I'd even thought imaginable has nearly wrecked me. I must have some strength left in me though because I was just in a thread of people congratulation themselves on being expatriates and I kind of freaked out a little. I'm also attempting to make it to DC despite the fact it will leave me broke and maybe arrested. You've ever been an inspiration to this board the short time I've been a member TYJ and we need you. So take hope in the fact some of us still have some, little as it is, and in the end we have to believe that its not as important that you win the fight as it is that at least you fought the fight.

[ClayZ]

46. Recurring

I dream I'm in a shelter,
I can find no place to pee.
Just plastic curtain mazes,
Separating all the families.

Searching for a bucket,
Seeking some small privacy.
With panic overriding
Every common decency...

I join the lost in dream-time,
I have no method to assist.
Watching for redemption,
I sign my name on every list.

Waking, feeling guilty,
To find myself in bed.
My blankets and my pillow,
Beneath my spinning head.

Nothing floats at my house.
All is dry with walls in place.
Uncle Sam up for the third count.
Voodoo holding up his face.

Stars and darkness call me
From Seattle to New Orleans
To my grief and to my horror
To the shelter in my dreams.

[Nothing Without Hope]

47. You're sure not alone. I've not been able to sleep at night since the

night before the hurricane hit and the anxiety and sadness have only worsened as this great tragedy has unfolded. In a few minutes I'm going to try to sleep while it's still dark for the first time since Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. I have to. This persistent state of sadness and horror is ruining my health and my ability to find a calm state of mind and heart. Without those, I lose my peace, my health, and my judgement. Then I can't be effective in moving forward and helping to fight all the important battles at this turning point in our history.

This is not going to be a short fight. We have to find ways to replenish ourselves, to take ourselves away from this horror enough to be fresh when we return to the fight. I've found it very difficult to do this but I know I must.

This week, rain or shine, I've promised myself I will take a nature walk, even a short one, every day and find at least a half-hour to paint or draw. I will pay more attention to eating relatively regularly and moving and being with friends. I will be reading and listening to music to lift and calm my spirit. I'll be more alert for the good to balance myself so I can be more efective in fighting what we are facing. I'll not turn away from a chance to laugh.

Please be kind to yourself and, speaking to both of us, don't feel guilty if you take some time to recover.

Be well. :grouphug: We are all in this together, but we have to take care of ourselves individually.

I've put my favorite photo of the Dalai Lama up on the side of my computer screen as a reminder. He seems to be saying in his quiet voice, "You are rrying. That's good. Be at peace."

http://www.pacificvillage.org.nyud.net:8090/villagevoices/int4/Dalai_Lama.jpg

May all beings be happy content and fulfilled,
May all beings be healed and whole,
May all have what they want and need,
May all be protected from harm and free from fear,
May all beings enjoy inner peace and ease,
May all beings be awakened liberated and free,
And may there be peace in this world and throughout the entire universe.
--Metta (lovingkindness) prayer (I like this wording, but each person chooses their own.)

[dandrhesse]

48. Sadness indeed, profound deep sadness

My mom who is 66 is a strong, optimistic person but also a realist. She has remained hopeful in the face of some of the worst adversity humans can suffer but hurricane Katrina has shaken her to the core.

She literally can not talk about it without breaking down in tears. What she says rings true for me as well.

"There are no words adequate to describe the contempt and disgust I feel for those in power today. This administration and especially the yay-hoos at the top defy description"

I am also in mourning. I used to wonder when we would all rise up. Now I see that millions of us have already but the MSM has ignored us and those in power deny our existence. Now I wonder how many of us will it take, in the streets, on the internet ,in cities and towns across our nation and the world in order to stop this epic tide of greed

[Bernardo de La Paz]

49. I've been posting more. I turn sadness and anger into determination.

Good wishes. I hope you find a happier path to your (and our) goals.

[Digit]

50. Spoken from the heart

Cope as best you can, and know you are much more of a human being than the monsters in power could ever hope to be.

We all have our coping mechanisms, and I posted many an enraged message to this board and sent emails to CNN and MSNBC. I have screamed at my TV and had swollen eyelids for a few weeks now.
I even contemplated suicide....I am okay though since I realized I had to back off.
I knew I had to take a mental health break, so I watched a few comedies on TV. I also began to meditate again since my state of mind was so jarred by what I have been witnessing.

We must keep the media in tune with our thoughts so they will continue to report what is happening. Anderson Cooper has blown me away with his reporting. He gives me hope where before, I would not even watch him. Jack Cafferty has also surprised me.

Now, if they could get the nerve to speak up about rolling back the tax cuts for the very wealthy to help pay for Katrina....that will be the subject of my next email to them.

In the meantime, try to take care of yourself, eat healthy, and try to be good to yourself.

[spuddonna]

51. I think a lot of us feel the same...

I had to stop coming here as often as I usually do because I was so depressed with how little regard for human life our govt has as I keep reading and seeing the latest FEMA crimes...

I've contributed and participated in a food drive for Katrina victims, and it has helped a bit, but mostly, I am very lucky to have two darling kiddies who seemed to sense I needed extra hugs and kisses, and it really helps me to recharge... I wish I could give you one of their hugs! :) :pals:

I am trying to look forward with hope... to hear Fitzgerald indict some of these criminals... to see the march on DC... to see Conyers and Waxman continue to deliver investigations and proof of a failed government... It's hard to hope, when you are crying from outrage... I've done so much crying for our country these past few weeks... But I won't give up...

American is waking up from a nightmare... I am hoping for change for the better... peace, Tom.

"...don't give up
'cause you have friends
don't give up
you're not the only one
don't give up
no reason to be ashamed
don't give up
you still have us
don't give up now
we're proud of who you are
don't give up
you know it's never been easy
don't give up
'cause I believe there's a place
there's a place where we belong"

-Peter Gabriel, "Don't Give Up"

[degreesofgray]

53. good post

What has really gotten to me is the fingerpointing at victims of this tragedy. Maybe, instead of blaming people for being poor, or lazy, or stupid, shiftless, and criminal, or whatever the epithet of the day is, folks could say what they really mean, that the people who stayed behind and drowned did it because they were black. And inferior. I mean, otherwise they'd have money and common sense, right? Such is the chain of logic in Bush's America.

And now, watching the same cast of characters that have reaped windfalls in Iraq swoop into Louisiana to do the same there, it's really sickening. Some folks are waking up (hooray for Anderson Cooper) but really, from what I can tell, despite *'s currently low approval ratings, the streets are empty and the country is as if in a deep, deep slumber.

[entanglement]

56. Don't give up,Sir, you are a liberal leftist in the true sense!

-an admirer
:thumbsup:

[NorthernSpy]

57. I can't get the past utter lack of sympathy on the part of some...

... for all those who were stuck and desperate and dying. Some of that indifference has been expressed here. I can't stop thinking about it.

Perhaps liberals, progressives, populists, and the Left in general really need to cut loose those libertarianish hangers-on who've attached themselves to us only because the other party is currently so full of religious fanatics. They aren't a large constituency, and I'm increasingly unsure of exactly what they add to our side and our efforts.

[earth mom]

58. As you can see by all the replies here, you are not alone.

I've been feeling the same way as you and many others who have posted on this thread. Sorrow, mourning, frustration and outrage. I don't think I will EVER get over this, NEVER EVER.

I am still reeling over how the evil rethug bastards have completely exposed their rotten black hearts full of racist, classist and inhumane hatred for all for the world to see. Hate so shockingly ugly that words can't even convey how horrific it is!

Today I have no answers, no solutions. :cry:

:grouphug:

[Cleita]

59. I know how you feel. I haven't really been able to enjoy

the few blessings I have in life since Bush has been in power. All the suffering he has inflicted here and overseas and now this makes me very sad too.