The Hard Truth … Disaster response: Making it better, not worse

18th May 2011   ·   0 Comments

By J. Kojo Livingston
The Louisiana Weekly Contributing Columnist

We just finished a discussion of the conservative/racists new sport of comparing and denouncing disaster victims. Most folks acknowledge that we are in a time when we can expect a greater frequency and greater intensity of disasters. Some of these will be natural events, some will be human made, yet others, like Katrina and Japan will be combination events. In the case of Katrina, the storm may have been natural but the flood was caused by human screw-ups. In Japan the earthquake may have been natural but the nuclear radiation fallout is purely a result of what people did.

Some disasters that appear natural will be results of the U.S. and other governments tampering with the weather. What was formerly known as “Weather Warfare” is now called by a nicer sounding name, “Environmental Modifica­tion” or “EN-MOD” for short. People have always tried to manipulate the weather, usually for agricultural reasons, however in the past several decades the U.S. government has been determined to turn the weather into an instrument of controlled destruction by using a combination of sonics, microwaves, chemical sprays and God-knows-what-else to affect both the atmosphere and the tectonic plates that continents rest on. For homework on this go to the U.S. State Department website and look up ENMOD. Then Google the HAARP program. HAARP stands for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program.

How serious a threat is ENMOD? In 1977 in Geneva the major powers signed a treaty claiming that they would not use ENMOD for hostile purposes. (Actually, the U.S. waited three years before actually signing. Wonder why?) The subject deserves it’s own series but check the language used in the official document over 30 years ago: “…the term ‘environmental modification techniques’ refers to any technique for changing…the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space.”

This tells us that disaster prevention may be as big a concern as disaster response. Like I said, that’s another whole series. However the point is that many of the disaster victims that conservatives like to ridicule may be in their predicament not because of greedy politicians and not God. Urging your elected officials to bring a halt to weather experimentation could be a major step in saving innocent lives and the planet itself.

But there is much we all can do to make things better when (not if) the next disaster strikes.

First, is prayer. It really works. Pray for the people who affected and the people who are charged with helping them. Get others to pray for and advocate for the victims. Send your positive thoughts, vibes and affirmations out to people and areas affected by disaster.

Second, be supportive and encouraging of disaster victims wherever they may be. When you hear folks going all negative on people who have been devastated by a disaster, check them. Remember there’s always a Pat Robertson around to demonize those who are affected. This does not help. The religious community should really stop trying to judge and condemn people who face disasters. The Bible can be used to support or refute nearly any behavior or stupid idea you can come up with. The false prophets who claim that God is directly punishing disaster victims are, at best, guilty of being self-righteous. At worst they may hinder the goodwill of people who have a natural desire to help with their labor or resources but fear working against the will of Pat’s god.

Next, start NOW advocating for disaster victims. Talk to your elected officials to demand more accountability from agencies that collect money to aid disaster victims. There should be a reasonable speed of delivery of resources. Reasonable standards of treatment for disaster victims should be established. Treating survivors like sub-humans, slaves or criminals does not increase one’s stature. Every agency that gets a dime ought to rated and graded on how much of your dollar actually gets to the disaster you are giving toward, how fast that happens and the quality of the delivery of goods and services to the people actually affected.

Finally, give to a credible agency. This would not include the major non-profits. They have been busted too many times not doing right by Black people here and in Haiti alone. Before you give a dime to anybody, do the danged research. Find a group that is actually based in the affected area already and give to them. There are churches, and smaller groups who are actually sending people into disaster areas. Your money is more likely to get where it’s needed and less likely to buy some non-profit exec that new set of golf clubs or that cruise.

We know to be on the alert, so we have no excuse. Let’s change the culture of mass response to disasters. Let’s make things better and not worse. Let’s make the world more humane and just, instead of meaner and nastier. We have this power. We have this responsibility.

It’s your world…

Whatchagonna Do to Save it?

This story originally published in the April 25, 2011 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.