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You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / Doing What You Can

Doing What You Can

by John Cole|  September 1, 200512:59 pm| 24 Comments

This post is in: Domestic Politics

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Today is the blogwide fund-raising drive for the hurricane victims, and as previously, I am sticking with the American Red Cross, and later on, I will contribute to the American Kennel Club.

They are there, they know what they are doing, and the money will help. Do your part.

If you, for whatever reason, would like to use another charity to help, the best round-up is at the Instapundit’s, who has quite literally, dozens of places for you to choose from.

One quick thing- these are charity organizations, but I don’t think of this as charity in the sense of mere benevolence. This is an obligation we have to help. This is a necessity.

I will also have a blogad up and running shortly via Kos and crew, and I am donating all proceeds from blogads. I also will be donating every payday until the end of the year or until things stabilize. These folks don’t have any paydays coming up. They don’t have adequate water. They don’t have adequate food. They don’t have adequate clothing and shelter and medical help. Even if they have money in the bank, they have no way to get to it, no id, no ATM cards.

They have nothing but needs, hunger, illness, fear, hurt, pain, anguish, anger, grief, sorrow, desperation, and, thankfully, you. So please help. I fear we have only begun to see the world of trouble in New Orleans and in the gulf, and things are going to get worse over the next two weeks. That is inevitable at this point, but acting now, and donating more than you can afford can mitigate the damage.

*** Update ***

The Mercy Corps link is to the left in the blogads.

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Reader Interactions

24Comments

  1. 1.

    capelza

    September 1, 2005 at 1:08 pm

    My husband and I have donated. We are also seriously discussing offering a place in our home to a family if they would be willing to relocate to the Oregon Coast. I wonder about the ramifications, culturally for anyone from the deep South who would choose to come here. And even if our relatively chilly and overcast weather would be a good thing for them. I know our church would help us with things like extra beds and clothes. And this small community would open it’s arms. But do you think that this area is too “foreign” for someone who has been uprooted from their own area? Does that even matter?

    The word diaspora came to mind this morning…

  2. 2.

    BinkyBoy

    September 1, 2005 at 1:14 pm

    I’ve been trying to donate through the red-cross. Yesterday their site crashed and now today their Yahoo donation link is backed up as well.

    Guess I’ll wait until late tonight when the mass donations have slowed

  3. 3.

    over it

    September 1, 2005 at 1:17 pm

    I gave to the Noah’s Wish group that John mentioned. I also filled out a volunteer form from them. I am far from NOLA….but ya never know what help will be needed.

  4. 4.

    Mr.Ortiz

    September 1, 2005 at 1:30 pm

    Binky, I just donated to the Red Cross through Amazon.com’s Honor System. Their severs can take a beating. The link is at the top-right of their home page.

    I’m really afraid that there will be a riot at the stadium or a fire that engulfs the French Quarter. I don’t know why, but I have this sinking feeling that we haven’t seen the worst yet. I hope I’m wrong.

  5. 5.

    Don

    September 1, 2005 at 1:50 pm

    Can I please suggest what I suggested over at this link – make your donations to worthy charitys free of requirement to use it specifically for Katrina. It’s wonderful that the plight of these people has motivated so many to open hearts and wallets, but we don’t need another 9/11 fund debacle where lots of money goes unused or pointlessly spent because of these requirements.

    If an organization does good work, let them do good work and trust that they are experts in that assitance and will send finances where they’re needed.

  6. 6.

    BinkyBoy

    September 1, 2005 at 1:53 pm

    Thanks Mr. Ortiz

  7. 7.

    Jim Dandy

    September 1, 2005 at 2:09 pm

    John, is it the “Liberal Blogs for Hurricane Relief” ad that you’re putting up? Because of my experience with the Red Cross’ site–took about an hour to process it and slowed the crap out of my machine, which can only be a good thing, because it means a ton of people are donating, but it may end up turning off some people who don’t want to wait that long. I’m proposing to the guys on my site that we run something on our front page with that same ad, and for some reason I think that if you’re using that, it’s pretty legit.

  8. 8.

    KC

    September 1, 2005 at 3:04 pm

    I just donated some more cash through that Liberal Blogs set up by Kos et al. just to try it. It seemed to go just fine.

  9. 9.

    mac Buckets

    September 1, 2005 at 3:11 pm

    We’re taking in a family from Slidell, LA (who we know through friends), but we weren’t able to find an organized lodging program. Is anyone aware of a program which puts people who’d like to take in families with those in need?

  10. 10.

    Vlad

    September 1, 2005 at 3:16 pm

    “I don’t know why, but I have this sinking feeling that we haven’t seen the worst yet. I hope I’m wrong.”

    I’m listening to the police band webcast, and it sounds really bad. Probably the most alarming was a lady up near the top of a hotel, who saw a group of armed civilians surrounding a group of police officers a few streets away, but there’s been plenty of other bad stuff. A report of armed men attacking a hospital, a pregnant lady in labor by herself, all kinds of crazy shit.

  11. 11.

    Vlad

    September 1, 2005 at 3:17 pm

    If it’s on the up-and-up, this blog paints a pretty grim picture, too.

  12. 12.

    BinkyBoy

    September 1, 2005 at 3:18 pm

    mac:

    MoveOn is coordinating some of it right now.

  13. 13.

    BinkyBoy

    September 1, 2005 at 3:19 pm

    Jeebus help me close my tags!

    Moveon

  14. 14.

    Vlad

    September 1, 2005 at 3:26 pm

    The link to that webcast, if anyone is interested. Might take a while to connect; the stream’s under pretty heavy traffic right now.

  15. 15.

    Vlad

    September 1, 2005 at 3:27 pm

    In the time it took me to open the page and copy the URL, someone shot the pilot of a ferryboat full of National Guardsmen.

  16. 16.

    Mike H

    September 1, 2005 at 5:53 pm

    Hi,

    My current family situation would be considered upper class. However, four years ago we were in poverty and lower class. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that the US Government treats the upper and lower class citizens totally different. The horrible tragedy that happened with the hurricane shows how our Government REALLY views lower class individuals, especially blacks. I’m a white person and I can say today that I’m so ashamed that the Government is moving so slow on behalf of the people in this tragedy. If this was about oil we would have had troops and military landing and all over the place the day after. It’s just so sad that the Government could not even drop water supplies, food or medical supplies to the people. MUCH more could have been done, lives could have been saved and people who have already gone through ENOUGH emotional trauma could have been helped. I really hope the people of the United States look at how the poor and mostly black population is treated and elect the right person for the office of the President. I’m a white person and I would actually hope for a black candidate to take the office of President. It really is a shame how bad the Government let things become.

    Regards,
    Michael H

  17. 17.

    Marilyn Cain

    September 1, 2005 at 5:55 pm

    I am in Ruston Louisiana and doing what I can to make the evacuees comfortable. As to why the people did not leave, it probably centers more around the economic situation of the people. Also, believing that as silly as it may sound, “let God have his way”. These citizens who stayed encompasses the behavior being displayed by the government. Let’s just wait and see what happens. The greatest information of what damage could be caused by this hurricane was known by the federal government. Instead of being proactive our president said, we will be there for you after the damage unfortnately, not assisting in evacuating before the disaster.

  18. 18.

    over it

    September 1, 2005 at 6:04 pm

    Is this a joke?

    If not, FEMA has managed to find another way to embarrass themselves.

    He is going to make more off of this horrific disaster than I will probably make in my entire adult working life. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.

    Please, please, please….if you are going to donate money(and I hope you do), DO NOT give it to this jackass and his ilk.

  19. 19.

    Harry Atkinson

    September 1, 2005 at 6:48 pm

    Guitar George strums while New Orleans drowns.

    http://oddlots.digitalspace.net/ARX/downloads/nero2a.jpg

  20. 20.

    Brad R.

    September 1, 2005 at 6:51 pm

    Done and done. I couldn’t donate much since I’m a broke-ass grad. student, but I gave up my weekly beer money- seriously, it’s that big an emergency.

  21. 21.

    Don

    September 1, 2005 at 8:08 pm

    I don’t care for associating with that clown in any way shape or form and I would prefer our government not do so BUT… OB does have a good efficiency rating with regards to their overhead – better than the Red Cross, in fact. So if a private individual wanted to donate I don’t know it’s necessarily a bad thing.

    That said, I do have some question about their disclosure – they do not do sufficient disclosure for the AIP or give.org to rate them. So there may be other issues beyond their overhead percentage.

  22. 22.

    Tony Dismukes

    September 2, 2005 at 1:23 pm

    John, thanks for the idea of donating from each paycheck. I made my first donation today, and I couldn’t afford a whole lot. If I keep on donating on each paycheck, though, it’ll start to add up.

Comments are closed.

Trackbacks

  1. Waveflux says:
    September 1, 2005 at 4:15 pm

    Other suggestions on donating to Katrina relief efforts

    More suggestions on donating to Katrina relief efforts.

  2. Balloon Juice says:
    September 2, 2005 at 11:11 am

    […] Doing What You Can […]

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