I wouldn't feel right if I didn't mention Hurricane Katrina and it's destruction. Where I live in Dallas, TX there are many people from LA here right now around downtown. As I metioned in other post my family is deeply rooted is social and community service. Some of us (including me) have volunteered to help the victoms in Dallas. We will meet downtown today after work. People I don't know what to tell you other than give to you local Red Cross and make sure it goes to Hurricane Katrina victoms. You can specify where you want your money to go. I believe that "It Takes a Village to Raise a Child".

Please understand what's happening in this country is already foretold. If you are not spiritual, now is the time to make your peace with your God, whoever or whatever that may be. I don't promote a certain religion, but I do support being spiritually grounded and connected to the earth and it's inhabitants. Gulf Coast (Third Coast) residents are in need of your help. When the world Trade Center fell and killed many people in NY, the whole country step up to help the families and victoms. Now is the time to help those in need because of hurricane Katrina. 

yea this is messed up because there are a lot of black people down there people want to take there time in helping them its really messed up. I mean but when the tsunami happened everybody was rushing ova there to help them now that we have destruction over here nobody wants to help cause we black its a damn shame.

That goes to show there is still racism over here.

Rence your right, I've heard mixed messages all day. Some people are blaming the victoms. They act like they're angry at the flood victoms. This is crazy. Because they are Black they don't need help? I don't understand what's going on. America can help all the other countries but has a slow reaction to help black people. I know that there are some good people out there that care because I've seen them on TV and in Dallas raising funds. Man there are so many people dead or homeless and all I see is news clips showing Black people looting. I know damn well white people looting too but they showing blacks.

Now is the true test of character for America. The world is watching how they will respond to African Americans in need. We'll see, we'll see! And so will all other countries.

Yall pray for the victoms, pray for your people to be strong in a time of need and frustration. Pray that God will hear our cries and answer our priars. We have the power and the glory.

Yea though I walk through the valleys of the shadow of death.....  

thanx for helping out mike u r one who cares and in the end u will be rewarded watch u will. This makes me misty eyed to hear that my fellow brother big mike is helpin it really does.

Its not a black or white thing......These people that were affected are all Human, These people are all one now, It doent matter if its a Black person affected. Right now they are all interconnected by one major disaster..which didint spare anyone because of thier Race. All these people need Help, It pains to see when people says Life will go on..Like i have been hearing around here in Nj. But for some people They have Nothing, and even before Katrina struck some people had nothing, Now they have to rebuild from scatch. The places Hit Now look Like the 3rd world countries that Most of us poke fun at on  TV. It looks like a reversal of rolls. Now we have The UN offering us money bt becasue of pride we dont want to accept it. When i first Saw the people sleeping under trees i thought i was watching a Feed the Children add on Tv. Now we have to Feed these people that are affected by this.

You Never have what you Have untill its gone. Never take anything for granted

God Bless

a sad sad time...i just hope they get the help they need

My local news told everyone in the city to give to the Salvation army...I have can goods, bottled water and clothes I am sending off. Also, we were told if you are not trained than you can't go to help them. I really want to do more, it's really sad and I'm more upset with Bush because he rushed to help everyone else except for the victims in our own nation. So I am going to do what I can and if giving food, water and clothes is all I can afford...then that is what I will give.

Anything that you can do would be helpful. I just can't get rid of the image of 3 sweating children sitting in the back seat of a beat up old car on the side of the road. There parents had a facial express of shock and helplessness. They looked like they didn't know what to do. It's a very bad thing when mom and dad have no idea how to handle a situation and children hungry. It looks like a third would situation down there. Bush playing golf and counting money he's getting from Iraq. He's slow to act while people are dieing from snake bites, drowning, gunshots, dehydration, and hunger right here in America.

This is not the country I remember growing up in. People are too selfish now and it shows. Americans are loosing their morals and values. Whatever happened to love thou neighbor?

I went downtown after work friday and it was so sad. Some of the people look as if they seen a ghost. You know the look of shock, confusion, and hopelessness, like a deer would look caught in high beam headlights.

In all fairness, there are plenty people donating and voluteering their time. I'm in a family of sociologist and community activist so you know we are not throwing in the white towel. We passed out blankets, food, and water for about an hour last night. My cousin and I are going back today to see what we can do. We're trained to deal with this. Like I said, we come from a family of sociologist, plus seeing dead people, hungry homeless people laying on the street is nothing new to me. I grew up seeing that right in front of our house. West Dallas, is one of the two original black neighborhoods in Dallas. 

Pray as we embark on another day of death, hunger, and feelings of homelessness here in the Gulf Coast States. Gods people are being tested. Pray that we have strength to carry the burdens forced upon us from greed and evil spirits. Bless our hearts with the spirit of giving, not selfishness. There is too much selfishness in this country. Too much hatred, too much greed. Give us the will to overcome our weaknesses, let us have the spirit of a once productive country that we all can admire. Bless those that bless others. Bless the people who give of there time and energy. Enlighten those who harbor hatred and ignorance for people they fear, for they are the ones truely in need of peace. And bless those who don't have the heart to give so that one day they will.

Its not a black or white thing......[/QUOTE]

I don't know if you ever been to the south, but LA, AL, MISS, GA, and TX are all states composed of majority Blacks and Hispanics. Whites are the minority down here in all of the Gulf Coast cities. The majority of people who live in New Orleans are Black or Creole. The majority of the people affected by this are Black. Don't get it twisted, it is a black thing when downtown Dallas is getting full of homeless black families coming from other States, and they still coming in now! I wish You could see all these hungry homeless people. You would change what you said. Oh, it a black thing phlysprts4lfe, you haven't seen what I've seen up close and personal. I'm not watching TV, I'm right here in it! And there aint nothing but black fokes sleeping on the ground down here. Dallas newspaper >>>>

MELANIE BURFORD/DMN

Pamela Harris, center, the volunteer coordinator for Red Cross at Reunion Arena, asks for patience as the first Hurricane Katrina refugees arrived.

Dallas City Officials made a desperate plea for help Saturday morning, saying that, within hours, they will have far more Hurricane Katrina evacuees than they can possibly manage. Officials in Mesquite, overwhelmed with hurricane survivors, said they could no longer handle the busloads and was shutting down. Dallas police scrambled to set up a new area, and as of 11 a.m., said it would likely be near the Convention Center. In New Orleans, thousands from the Superdome continued to wait as evacuation efforts were halted until Sunday.
Updated 11:15 a.m.

its not about comments this is not a joke. And yes it is a racial thing anyone who doesn't see that that is an idiot u no how many blacks are down there a lot and do you no how many whites are down not alot. If u look on tv all u see is blacks. Come on be honest why did it take 4 days for someone to respond to these people 4 days is a long time without food and water. But when the tsunami hit we were there the next day. How can u look out for someone elese but not yourself. Whats wrong with us.

correct rence. its a low down dirty shame. EVEN PRESIDENT BUSH said that after going down there that america is NOT doing enough for these ppl. i went to new orleans a coupla years ago, and it was a beautiful place. i have pictures and everything. its hard to swallow that fact that everything in my pictures are gone and everyone i met while being there. jes like BIGGMike is, im seeing it up close. only not on the large scale that he is. but its REAL. theres black homeless families everywhere. it really makes u mad.

Yo Call me an Idiot. Everything doesnt have to be about race. Look paat color for once in your life, when the tusami hit, i doubt there was a Topic on it, life just simply went on. but now since it hits close to home you are feeling the effects of it. The hurrucaine doesnt spare you because of the color of your skin.  Get that way of thinking out of your minds, stop being ensalved by your minds, It will only be a race issue  if you make it one, I guess as you go along and you see a white family, you wont help them?, We call white people racsist but we are equally the same towards them. I am telling you, Its not even the white person trying to keep Af americans down.....Most Black people would rather see someone else suceeed. We all need a New way of thinking. Just like mase said. RENEW YOUR MINDS. DONT LET YOUR WAY OF THINKING INDER YOUR PROGRESS..

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy."
Wayne Dyer.

Stay Positive.

Hold on you mean to tell me bush was with these people as they drowned and starved to death why the hell would u send people over there with guns and tanks to kill looters these people are hungry and they are about to die why kill a looter if the strore is already destroyed by the water. Why should it take 4 days to help people 4 days come on where is your head at. But i bet u if a diaster happened in texas bush would be there the same day it happened.

And did u forget that bush flew by the devestation on the 3rd day and kept on moving then decided the day after that he wants to visit.

Well we have heard both sides and I have to say that I am proud of the American Red Cross. They really did help with the hot meals and such. I saw whites and Blacks help them in Texas.

However, Bush was slow and he admitted this himself, so phily you are on your own with defending him. He didn't even defend himself. He was slow and even some of his supporters said he was too. I have to tell you brother please try to support your own people before you defend other people. They need people on the other side of the country to understand what happened and support them. No one has a slave mentality, they just see the truth for what it is. The people were neglected, and even some white people say the same thing.

It very difficult to explain what all I saw at the Dallas Convention center, but I can tell you from first hand experience, the majority of the victoms of Katrina, will tell you the govenment did not respond quick enough, black or white. So I can't see defending Bush when he did something to hurt YOUR people. It's like defending a system of opression and making excuses for it. How can anyone do that and sleep good at night.

The victoms have recieved help but they are still hurting from the whole thing. I want to thank all who helped.