PERSON OF THE MONTH - September 2005

I really don’t like the idea of naming inanimate objects as “Person of the Month”. I think that it defeats the purpose of singling out the one solitary person worthy of recognition. However, there are times when a force other than a person has such a great impact on the world that it totally trivializes anything done by a human being. In these rare cases, I think that it is acceptable to name a force of nature as Person of the Month. This is one of those situations.

Throughout September, the news has been totally dominated by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a storm powerful enough to turn a major metropolitan area into a lake. The World was riveted by the destruction throughout the Gulf Coast area and the dramatic events taking place in New Orleans. We prayed for those trapped in the Superdome and convention center, mourned for the hundreds killed, and cheered when the National Guard arrived to save the day.

As the month wore on, the news was filled with stories placing the blame one government official or another. Was it Bush’s fault, the Mayor’s, the Governor’s, FEMA’s, or a combination of all of them? These questions lead to a massive political grudge match employing some of the most vitriolic rhetoric I ever heard.

This was a tragedy, but strength is built through suffering. The people of America have shown their strength by banding together to donate an unprecedented amount of aid, some even opening their homes to evacuees. The story has been rife with potential villains (who they are depends on your political view), but it has also had its heroes. Law enforcement officers from all over the nation poured into New Orleans to restore order amidst the chaos, the National Guard staged a dramatic rescue operation, and countless citizens helped in their own way. America also found a new hero in Gen. Russell Honore, who won us over with his straight talk and gave Conservatives a new battle cry by telling the mainstream media “Don’t get stuck on stupid!”
For the tragedy she caused, but also for the good she brought out in us, Hurricane Katrina is ConservaGlobe’s first Person of the Month.

Technorati Tags: Katrina, hurricane, Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, News, Politics, Current Affairs, Current Events, Person of the Month