Madam, - I am an American living in Dublin. My sister-in-law's extended family are natives of the New Orleans area. Although they all evacuated on time, three of the families have lost everything they own. Of the eight adults, six lost their jobs when the area's businesses were destroyed.
We walked around our estate on Sunday night in a modest attempt to collect donations and letters of support for one particular family in need. While many people donated - and many declined to give - what struck me were the couple of people with vehement reactions to the idea of giving. One comment in particular, delivered in a condescending tone, was: "It's the United States, not Africa!"
While that is true, let me respectfully request that anyone in a similar frame of mind consider the following. Even before the hurricane, Mississippi and Louisiana were two of the poorest states in the US. The life expectancy for black males in Mississippi was a shameful 64.9 years, lower even than the figures for African countries such as Morocco (69.1) and Algeria (69.7). While the images of New Orleans that we see in the papers are terrible, conditions are probably better there than in the very impoverished bayou country surrounding the city. The area affected by the hurricane has been estimated to be the size of Britain. Aiding a population in an area that size is a daunting task, even for a wealthy nation such as the United States.
Suffering is suffering, no matter where in the world you are. My family donates monthly to a family in Nigeria as well, but that doesn't mean we can't reach out to people in the US during this crisis. I implore people to put aside their distaste for George Bush, the war in Iraq and my country's many other sins of the past. Those bearing the burnt of the storm's destruction are not politicians or people in any position of power. Please do not hesitate to send a donation to the Red Cross, however small, if you are moved by their plight. - Yours, etc,
LISA HAWKINS,
Littlepace View,
Clonee,
Dublin 15.
Madam, - Collectively, our hearts go out to all those afflicted by Hurricane Katrina. Privately and individually we may sense in the disaster the hand of divine retribution, may even imagine this a personal answer from God to the neo-cons' usurption of His (or Her) mission. But we would be wrong to do so: the prophet Elijah found the voice of the Lord not in the storm but in the whisper of a gentle breeze.
Still, we have the right to be concerned at the incompetent response by the most technologically advanced and most powerful nation ever on the face of the Earth. These are they who would impose their will on the rest of the world, God help us. May the lessons they now learn be those of concern and understanding, tempered with humility; may that great invocation of Islam, "In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful", be their morning prayer. - Yours, etc,
SEAMUS HAYDEN,
Loughros Point,
Ardara,
Co Donegal.
Madam, - We should not be surprised at the inept response of the US authorities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Nor should we be greatly surprised by looting, the reports of rape and the scenes of violence at petrol stations which we have witnessed in television reports.
America is a low-tax economy. Low taxes lead inevitably to poor, under-resourced public services, staffed by people who are very often incompetent, poorly educated and trained. The post-Katrina chaos is a natural consequence of the economic model pursued by the United States - a model that purports to give people more money in their take-home pay but basically tells them to get on with life and not to expect support from the state. It is a model which suits the rich and powerful in society but condemns the millions of poor in America to a life of drudgery.
Hurricane Katrina has laid bare the myth of the American dream. What we have witnessed is instead the American nightmare.
Some people in Ireland, of course, would have us move closer to Boston than Berlin. This idea has been pursued by the Progressive Democrats for a number of years and has support from some leading figures in the world of business and economics. The dangers for Ireland inherent in this PD ideology are there for all to see. We should be grateful that we are part of the broad European ideal of the social democratic vision of society. - Yours, etc,
ALAN McPARTLAND,
Grange Court,
Dublin 16.
Madam, - I write in response to the letters by Brendan Goss and Niall Ginty in your edition of September 2nd. While I may agree with their views about the Bush administration's failure to address global warming and the social injustices and inequality that exist in many Western societies, including our own, I would be more inclined to offer my sincerest condolences and prayers to all those affected by such a terrible tragedy and leave the recriminations and debate for another day. With the first anniversary of the Beslan atrocity, the tragic deaths in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina, it was a difficult week for humanity. - Yours, etc,
ENDA FLAHERTY,
Elmwood Road,
Swords,
Co Dublin.
Madam, - I wonder if the people of Iraq like what they see of the "freedom and democracy" that Mr Bush is promising to bring to their country? - Yours, etc,
SEAMUS HOGAN,
Marybrook,
Kanturk,
Co Cork.
Madam, - I have watched with horror on TV the devastation Hurricane Katrina has meted out to the citizens of Mississippi and Louisiana. I have also watched the looting carried out by desperate people, some with no food or water for three days or more.
A mother who was interviewed asked the reporter what he would have done, with three kids and a dying mother to sustain. Given the lack of response from both the State and federal authorities, what were these people to do? No leadership, no food, no water.
I then watched President Bush go on air to restate his zero tolerance policy - i.e., shoot to kill. America is truly an amazing place. - Yours, etc,
JOHN McCORMACK,
Kilpatrick,
Mullingar,
Co Westmeath.