Whether it is a personal or natural disaster, it's a sad fact that "blame the victim" becomes popular sport. Take Hurricane Katrina. We got the "they should have known better -- no one should live there" bit. Why is New Orleans where it is? Blame the Mississippi River. NO is one of the most important ports in the US. Somehow that little fact went unmentioned by the blamers. The city was built there for a reason. Is it in danger? Sure. But so is the SF Bay Area. I guess if a big earthquake comes it will be the victims fault for living there. Ditto for Seattle if Mt. Ranier blows.
On the personal side, take rape or mugging victims. What do we hear? "They should have locked up better, not walked there, been more alert to their surroundings, etc., etc.
I think blaming the victims makes the blamers feel more secure. i.e. "That won't happen to me because I won't be as dumb as they were" etc. etc.
As they say, "hindsight has 20/20 vision." Personally, I sent a donation to the Salvation Army which is involved in food relief. I'm thanking my lucky stars my family has been spared major disaster so far. My daughter just moved to the Bay Area a year ago (jobs for her and her husband.) She decided to cough up the extra $2000/yr. insurance premium for earthquake insurance. But housing is so insanely high in the area that many people just can't come up with the extra cash. So will it be their fault if (heaven forbid) a major quake hits the area and they lose everything?
Sure, some people made some very bad decisions during Sandy. But compassion for those in need is never a mistake.
Cathy
Sent from my iPad
Most definitely Jerry. Maybe their family is on the other coast or
hundreds of miles away and they don't have the funds to stay in a
hotel/motel....if they can find one. Maybe they have pets, large pets
like horses. Do you just leave them? Again..don't judge until you know
the full story.
On 11/3/2012 9:20 AM, Jerry Elkins wrote:
> Often people just don't have the money to leave.
>>
>> Can we have a little sympathy and not go back to another 3 days of
>> bickering
>> about people deserving what they got for not evacuating! There are some
>> people on this list that just have to take the opposite of whatever
>> subject
>> comes up just for the sake of an argument.
>>
>> It is not fair at all for all of you to judge why someone did not evacuate
>> if you are not in their shoes. There are people in the same situation as
>> Eden that were NOT in an area to be evacuated and they are in the same
>> dire
>> situation. How about a little empathy and a helping hand instead of all
>> these "told ya so".
>>
>> Judith Barnett
>> Pooh4jvn@pacbell.net <mailto:Pooh4jvn%40pacbell. net>
>> Sent from my ipad
>>
>
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