Ed Howard is at it again, pointing out the obvious and the unpleasant (Nebr StatePaper.com email). I added the numbers and underlines:
- “We should do what can be done for our fellow Americans down there in Louisiana and Mississippi.
- We should also take note that, in a fell swoop and without anything resembling specific guidance for its use, Congress added $50 billion to the national debt when it approved the latest aid package.
- Let’s hope the Chinese and the Dutch and others remain in the mood to lend us more and more money.
- On the bright (?) side, Bangladesh has offered America $1 million in foreign aid. “
It seems to me that all four of his points are worth noticing. Living in society (i.e. living on this planet) with kazillions of other human beings is seldom simple and straightforward. The options, at least for Bible-believing Christians, probably do not include either a) opting out, checking out, ignoring what’s happening to others and to us, or b) hoping “they” all get somehow destroyed while we escape.
We’re still under that incredibly pervading obligation to love. And, as Dallas Willard once wrote, “The first act of love is always the giving of attention.”
Where are they taking our people?
Columnist Al Martin reports that there is little word from the regime as to just where they are taking the displaced of New Orleans. He fears, rightly so, that many – maybe into the hundreds of thousands – are being transported to CILF’s – Civilian Inmate Labor Facilities which have been created throughout the US, one of the implications of the Patriot Act.
Once placed, detainees are not allowed to leave for five months.
Does anyone really think the Regime is going to support poor blacks in regaining their real estate? Anyone remember that recent Supreme Court decision about eminent domain? By this, the city of New Orleans stands to reclaim any properties it wants. There is a lot of clamor for this choice real estate too, for authorities are in the process of restyling New Orleans into a new Las Vegas. The rebuilding funds allocated by Congress will go to developers, not to the displaced poor. Now the bigger forces covet the ruined property of the poor.
And we want to help, by helping families stay out of the CILFs if possible. But we are having a frustrating time contacting organizations about support possibilities. There is no problem, of course, if you just want to send cash. But as to making individual contact with displaced families, we so far have found it impossible to get answers to calls and emails. The people working in organizations are simply overwhelmed.
Our hope is to assist families who might seek to relocate in our area. Please join us in prayer about this. Let’s see to it that at least some are not swallowed alive by going into the CILFs. Thank you. Please post any known opportunities to provide assistance in placing families. To anyone from the hurricane area who knows of poor congregations who might seek help, please let us know here.
Also we have bibles to donate. Thus far, not one email or phone call has been returned about that.