Tsunami 2
:: A week ago, we were first hearing of the tsunami. I recall the first time I heard something on the news, that 4,000 people were presumed dead. Seven days later, I find it very difficult to process what has happened.
Three weeks after September 11th, 2001, The Onion published its second issue since that fateful day. The cover story featured a composite picture of various pop culture icons and newsmakers of the moment, with the headline, “A Shattered Nation Longs To Care About Stupid Bullshit Again.” My tolerance for stoopid bullshit continues to decline on a daily basis, and in the past week, has hit an all-time low. I watch no so-called reality shows, and when I see an ad for one, I reach for the mute and/or channel buttons as fast as humanly possible. Who can give a rat’s ass about the next Survivor, Insert-Name-of-Country-Here Idol, or The Apprentice? Perhaps for some, shows like these are a diversion. But what they represent is so infinitely distant from anything that really matters.
What is critical right now is contributing to help those in need. In Canada, the Canadian Government will match donations by citizens until mid-January:
Until the UN donor conference in mid-January, when needs will be reassessed, the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency is matching dollar for dollar contributions that individuals make to recognized Canadian non-government organizations already involved in responding to the disaster in South and Southeast Asia. Some of these organizations include:
* Canadian Red Cross
* World Vision Canada
* Doctors Without Borders
* Oxfam Canada
* Oxfam Quebec (French only)
* CARE Canada
* UNICEF Canada
* Development and Peace
* Save the Children
Please donate if you haven’t already.
