Wednesday, September 21, 2005
In the aftermath of a hurricane
I came acrossthis post on my surfing voyage today that caught my attention. I read it and felt really appalled at the behaviour of the volunteer and his search for "warm fuzzies" from the loss of others. But it was the comments that really confused me. Are these people shocked at the attitude of the volunteer or of the refugees or are they excusing the behaviour of the volunteer due to the attitude of the people needing aid? What do you think?
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6 comments:
OMG, I read that and what an arse! I have thankfully read other blogs from people who gave a much more enlightened view to some of the stuff we were hearing and reading. AND it was nothing like this person.
I have to say, one of the things that struck me when the refugee images began to appear in the wake of Hurricane Katrina was the inactivity of the people there.
I can't begin to imagine what it's like to lose your home and everything in it in such circumstances. But what galled me was that huge crowds seemingly just sat on the kerb and expected a guardian angel to come along, scoop them up and sort their lives out.
I would hope that if I found myself in that situation I wouldn't sit there, I'd be proactive enought to get moving. If you were lucky enough to remain able-bodied after the hurricane, I'd go as far as to say it was your duty to get off your ass and begin to become part of the solution.
If the comments on the lack of gratitude or willingness to help are accurate, the author was right to be disgusted. If people are offering unconditional help it should be received with gratitude, not criticised and rebuffed. There's a simple phrase that has lost a lot of its literal meaning nowadays, but comes into play here:
Beggars can't be choosers.
The author's desire to get his 'warm and fuzzy' was also a little bizarre, in my opinion. And the comments...
I find this a confusing issue. The fact that the volunteer turned up to help in order to make himself feel better rather than a desire to bring relief disgusts me. However at least he tried to be proactive.
As for the people sitting waiting for help, I don't think I can judge how I would act if I were poor, beaten down, probably not particularly well educated with all of my possessions in plastic bags around my feet. I don't think y of us in this country are in a position to judge on that point.
"The fact that the volunteer turned up to help in order to make himself feel better rather than a desire to bring relief disgusts me."
Is it possible that many/most aid workers are at least partly motivated by the feel good factor they get from helping others but aren't as honest as this person about it?
I think that it is a natural benefit of helping others to feel good about it, however you can also see and experience things which are outside of your usual experiences which can also upset and damage you. That's the risk you take when you volunteer. It's not a bad thing as it can make you a better person in the long run. However it seems to me to be very naive the way this person writes about what his expectations were when he volunteered. Common sense will tell you that all the people you meet are not going to be fawning and grateful. There will be angry and hostile feelings in the mix there too. But as you are the person who is the stronger position it should be you who takes the moral high ground. He may be honest but I also think he's thoughtless and naive.
Agreed!
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