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NEWSLETTERS "You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind." "The great French Marshall Lyautey once asked his gardener to plant a tree. The gardener objected that the tree was slow growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years. The Marshall replied, 'In that case, there is no time to lose; plant it this afternoon!'" Bill Clinton once said that "There's nothing wrong with America that can't be fixed by what's right in America." How timely this sentiment is in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In the past couple of weeks, we've seen not only mother nature at its worst but also our government at its most tragically inept — seemingly asleep at the wheel when disaster struck and then fumble-bumbling its way to response like sluggish Keystone cops mired in bureaucratic excuses. As a result, people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who survived the direct impact of Katrina died while waiting to be rescued. That's what's "wrong" with America. But here's what's "right": the people. By now, at last count, at least a quarter of a million hurricane refugees have been relocated to safety in my own home state of Texas, and thousands more have been delivered to shelters and Good Samaritans' homes throughout the rest of the country. Millions of Americans have pitched in with donations of money, clothes, supplies and services. The survivors all still have a long and hard road ahead of them, but they can now begin the process of healing and rebuilding — just as our country as a whole does the same. It's our generosity and compassion as a entity that always amazes me. It's an empathy that knows no race, creed, apathy or limits. Because of this, even at times when American bureaucracy fails America, Americans don't. As the water recedes and the death toll rises, I plan on remembering this month at the polls. As an American voter, I'll be looking for candidates who remember this month, too — and who recognize that natural forces outside our control can be just as catastrophic as any terrorist cell on the Patriot Act's radar. I plan to remind these candidates, as a fellow taxpayer, that while they're indulging in left wing and right wing theatrics, I vote for people, not labels or parties. And I'll be intent on finding a leader who, for me, constitutes what's "right in America." After all, our politicians work for us. Kind Regards, Terri Hendrix September 2005 (C)(P) THM Music www.terrihendrix.com |