By David Johnson
Try searching online using key words such as 'Hurricane Katrina,' 'Katrina Survivors' or anything regarding the victims of Hurricane Katrina. You''ll find countless Web sites raising money and still trying to reunite families who fell victim to one of the greatest natural disasters the United States has seen in years.
CNN''s Web site has a number of stories about individuals who lost everything they had. Dennis Walsh, 28, told CNN that after living in a shelter for a week, he was moving to Rhode Island with the assistance of a volunteer program.
'I''ll try to get a job and see if someone can help take care of me until I can get on my feet,' Walsh told CNN.
Hurricane Katrina not only claimed the mortal lives of more than 1,300 people, it claimed the livelihood of thousands more. With these facts readily at hand, there are those who ironically sit in the comfort of a distant and familiar home, yet complain about how Katrina has affected them.
Last Wednesday''s article regarding a $50 loss students suffered from Hurricane Katrina has only perpetuated these selfish complaints. It opened with comments from students who felt that they could have used $50 on things for school. The author inflated the emphasis of losing $50 simply to make the economic effects of Hurricane Katrina seem more hurtful. By opening with these student complaints, the real story below, which discussed the economic effects of Hurricane Katrina that primarily affects students who drive cars, was made to appear as a reason for student outrage. But with whom were students supposed to be upset?
'Bad Hurricane ... Bad. I told you to stay closer to those other countries.'
I agree that we are suffering economically, partly because local and national officials did not handle Katrina in the best manner possible. But people must keep in mind that no matter how well any government handles a natural disaster as devastating as Katrina, the economy is going to suffer some.
Sure, some students may have been able to buy new ballroom dance shoes with that money, but others have suffered far more from Katrina. It is true that $50 is a lot of money for a college student. I of all people should know that - having worked 50 hours a week while going to school full time during my first year of college. However, even with my limited student budget, $50 seems like petty cash when compared to the thousands of jobs, homes, lives and futures that others lost to Hurricane Katrina.
Take Walsh, for example. After the hurricane, he was simply hoping that when he got to Rhode Island he could find people there who would support him until he could manage on his own again.
It seems to me that people should be a little less concerned with replacing shoes when others are suffering so much more economically. It is true that Utah and the nation have suffered economically from the effects of Katrina, but BYU students shouldn''t be incited to anger over losing $50, when that is probably the smallest impact Katrina had.
I realize that there were individuals directly affected by Katrina who took advantage of government aid by spending the money frivolously. While this may upset faithful taxpayers like myself, we must remember that those ingrates who spent that aid frivolously are most likely a minority.
We live in the United States of America and we are BYU students. We should cherish the virtues of unity and charity. So let''s quit complaining about $50 and be willing to give $50 to those who have lost so much more.