Wednesday, December 14, 2005
MISSISSIPPI'S INVISIBLE COAST
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/13402585.htm
http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100112134?GT1=7505
----"But now, nearly four months after Katrina's fury, residents ofthe Gulf Coast have an additional trauma, a "betrayal trauma"resulting from the reaction -- or non-reaction -- of the rest of thenation to their devastation."Betrayal trauma is not just limited to the slowness of the rescue butis now in this ambivalence of the nation," Fullilove said. "Instead ofsaying, 'This is an important region of the nation and of course we'regoing to repair it,' we're debating are we even going to do anythingabout this stuff. This is a whole other terrible, terrible thing thatreally eats up the soul of the people."
In regards to the above article my friend Richard Smith had this to say;
----This explains what many of us saw when our work crew rolled into a neighborhood, the elation, crying, embracing that greeted us at times.(I found this to be even stronger in the Waveland/Bay St. Louis area,since there were so few volunteer teams there.) And I think it adds an added pressure on those of us who have been there: this is not an abstract concept, it is not something neatly put aside as the nation moves on to other concerns. We know the reality of the mold and filth and cold and depression and despair and need. That's why many of us keep going back, to deal not only with the conditions in Biloxi and the Gulf Coast, but to deal with our own frustration with the growing indifference in the rest of the nation.
-I could not agree more, I think that is why I keep returning to Biloxi, after seeing the destruction first hand it is impossible to ever feel indifferent about the region.
http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100112134?GT1=7505
----"But now, nearly four months after Katrina's fury, residents ofthe Gulf Coast have an additional trauma, a "betrayal trauma"resulting from the reaction -- or non-reaction -- of the rest of thenation to their devastation."Betrayal trauma is not just limited to the slowness of the rescue butis now in this ambivalence of the nation," Fullilove said. "Instead ofsaying, 'This is an important region of the nation and of course we'regoing to repair it,' we're debating are we even going to do anythingabout this stuff. This is a whole other terrible, terrible thing thatreally eats up the soul of the people."
In regards to the above article my friend Richard Smith had this to say;
----This explains what many of us saw when our work crew rolled into a neighborhood, the elation, crying, embracing that greeted us at times.(I found this to be even stronger in the Waveland/Bay St. Louis area,since there were so few volunteer teams there.) And I think it adds an added pressure on those of us who have been there: this is not an abstract concept, it is not something neatly put aside as the nation moves on to other concerns. We know the reality of the mold and filth and cold and depression and despair and need. That's why many of us keep going back, to deal not only with the conditions in Biloxi and the Gulf Coast, but to deal with our own frustration with the growing indifference in the rest of the nation.
-I could not agree more, I think that is why I keep returning to Biloxi, after seeing the destruction first hand it is impossible to ever feel indifferent about the region.
