Watching a Tragedy Unfold

The news from New Orleans just seems to get worse. Acts of desperation, of malice, of fear. What started as an awful natural disaster has exposed fundamental questions about humanity and our country. Where to direct our outrage? At the looters and armed criminals who descend into lawlessness and wreak havoc at the most vulnerable? At a government that claims the destruction was unforeseeable? At a society that decided everyone in death's path should fend for themselves, leaving behind those without the means or health to flee? At the suspicion that things would have been handled quite differently if not for the race and class of most of those still in New Orleans?

No. Outrage is not the response. It may be justified. It may be necessary, at some later time. For now, compassion is the best thing any of us can offer. And crass though it may seem, perhaps the only currency in which compassion can be shared at this very moment is cash. So send it if you can. Send it even if you don't think you can. You'll make due better than those who need your compassion.