RevRenee
Founder-Wehemu
Reged: 06/12/01
Posts: 2727
Loc: Racine Wisconsin
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Em hotep friends
<bow>
So much devastation. So much grief and death.
Why Louisiana? Why now?
Is it something we did? Who is "we" anyway? Where is Netjer? Why?
No sermon here... Just opening discussion ..
What has the storm brought up for you? What thoughts, questions insights?
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Rev Renee Levant, Hemet Sekhmet & Aset
Founder & Wehemu & Educational Director
Per Ankh: The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt
http://www.per-ankh.org
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SaAmun1
Unregistered
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Em Hotep *bow*
Personally, I see this as a prime example of Sutekh and his energies. Yes, lots of destruction and death, but it opens the way for much in the way of jobs in construction/re-construction and things such as the levees in New Orleans will be built bigger and stronger.
Just my thoughts on things...
Senebty
SaAmun
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RevRenee
Founder-Wehemu
Reged: 06/12/01
Posts: 2727
Loc: Racine Wisconsin
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Em hotep Dennis!
<bow>
Good to see you. That is interesting. Let's think about that.
It is certainly true that Set can destroy in order to make new growth possible. And storms are a part of the way the natural world does this at times.
And humans despite our attempts to see ourselves as autonomous and in control of the natural world are not exept from these processes. So the mere fact of suffering and death does not contradict the possibility that this is the work of Netjer.
However, Set is about NECESSARY destruction. We are very much limited in attempting to ask whether this is Set at work NOW while we are in the middle of this situation. It is always possible that what seems arbitrary and unnecessary may in retrospect look very different.
There is though a basis upon which we can ask whether this is necessary. That is simply did "we" do all we could to mimimize any unnecessary violence and destruction.
For instance, we know that the city of New Orleans attempted to get the President to take action to avoid exactly this situation for the last 3 years.
We know that 35% of the state's national guard are fighting in Iraq.
This makes me look at human responsibility for the level of destruction, death and suffering. When we as a people are out of Ma'at things happen.
I am deeply concerned about choices being made right now to allow deaths and instead focus on protecting property from vandals.
There is something striking to me about pictures of New Orleans and those of riots in Iraq. I can't articulate just what is stiking about this yet..but it seems significant to me.
I am glad we are talking about this. Sharing perspectives may or may not give definitive answers ..but it has us reflect on the situation and can guide us in actions in the present.
Best
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Rev Renee Levant, Hemet Sekhmet & Aset
Founder & Wehemu & Educational Director
Per Ankh: The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt
http://www.per-ankh.org
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SaAmun1
Unregistered
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Em Hotep Rev Renee
*bow*
I agree completely that we should be asking, as a country if nothing else, did we do everything possible to minimize unnecessary violence and destruction. I guess it's been my experience that Set tends to hit harder with the cosmic 2x4 the more oblivious we are to things around us. And especially when it's a community or nation that's being oblivious (or in this case a nation's leader?).
It is unfortunate that much could have been done to minimize this. Hopefully this will motivate us all to take a more active part in the world around us, to ask questions that need to be asked.
I hadn't thought about it before, but I believe you are right, there is something striking in the comparison of New Orleans and Iraq. Only time will tell, I think, where this will all end.
Senebty~
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RevSedgwick
Heri Tep Hem Netjer
Reged: 04/12/02
Posts: 361
Loc: Racine, WI
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Em hotep! <bow>
Dennis notes above that it's important that we as citizens and as a nation ask the questions that need to be asked. One of them is whether the people who have been dispossessed, forced out of their homes by the flood waters, will be able to go back to the rebuilt city. That is, will provision be made for affordable housing for them, or will new construction be priced out of range. And if the latter--where will they go?
Actually, that's the big question now, isn't it? Where will they go for the next weeks, the next months? How will they live?
I'm sure all of you, like us here, are getting emails and suggestions at work, etc. of places to donate for Hurricane Katrina relief. That's all good. But all the office pool money and church donations and so on--as important as they are--cannot compensate for what should have been spent before the disaster to reinforce the levees and repair the pumping stations. And it cannot compensate for the monies that should be immediately available to care for people whose previous poverty has been deeply worsened by the loss of everything they had.
Rev Sedgwick
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Rev Sedgwick Heskett, Hemet NebetHet-Nit and Amun
Heri Tep Hem Netjer Per Ankh
Per Ankh: The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt
http://www.per-ankh.org
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RevRenee
Founder-Wehemu
Reged: 06/12/01
Posts: 2727
Loc: Racine Wisconsin
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Here are some resources from the world press that give additional information. US opinion is torn on whether it is simply a natural disaster or if Bush is to blame. Here are some interesting links from world press and those reports stations choose NOT to air:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1561356,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1558667,00.html
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/02/1419206
You can also watch videos from Democracy now here
http://www.independent-media.tv/index.cfm
And lest I be accused of only sharing left leaning perspecives here is what David Horowitz and his fellow supporters of the administraton have to say. It is a ..erm..interesting read.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/blog/index.asp
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Rev Renee Levant, Hemet Sekhmet & Aset
Founder & Wehemu & Educational Director
Per Ankh: The Traditional Religion of Ancient Egypt
http://www.per-ankh.org
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Kamose
KOL
Reged: 08/19/05
Posts: 19
Loc: Summerville, SC
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If you want to blame a government official for the extent of the destruction wrought by Katrina, that blame properly lays with the governor and other local officials, as they are primarily responsible for preparing such plans.
One must wonder where the tax dollars. Ever since 9/11, we have pumped billions of dollars into government organizations in order that we be able to recover more quickly, and yet it took almost 4 days for federal aid to arrive.
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Kamose (“the soul is born”)
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Isian
KOL
Reged: 03/15/04
Posts: 480
Loc: NSW, Australia
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Em hotep ~bow~
You know, I've tried three times to work out how to respond to this thread. Being geographically challenged I find myself at a loss as to the why's and wherefor's.
I do know this much, that humankind when challenged has the opportunity for two things. To rise, or sink. It does not suprise me to see both of those things happening. Nor that nature would lash out, as it has in the past.. and will in the future.
As for myself.. 'helpless' would fit here. So.. I pray.
Jen G
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Nebra
KOL
Reged: 08/01/02
Posts: 2383
Loc: Left kansas withToto
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Perhaps new orleans was in need of a redirection. a renewal.... and the storms devastation was the means to that change.....I've heard from people who should know that the city was to complacent in dealing with it's poverty, and infurastructure....and that most of the police department was corrupt..and the city government was far more interested in fostering the "big Easy tourist atmosphere" than anything else. they spent more on the yearly pre lent carnival than they anything else ... Maybe Set energy is a good way to shake up the mixture.... I know that sounds cold... but sometimes force is needed to cause change  .... I do wish that wasn't true but it is
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Nebra
KOL
Reged: 08/01/02
Posts: 2383
Loc: Left kansas withToto
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Quote:
Here are some resources from the world press that give additional information. US opinion is torn on whether it is simply a natural disaster or if Bush is to blame. Here are some interesting links from world press and those reports stations choose NOT to air:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1561356,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,8542,1558667,00.html
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/02/1419206
You can also watch videos from Democracy now here
http://www.independent-media.tv/index.cfm
And lest I be accused of only sharing left leaning perspecives here is what David Horowitz and his fellow supporters of the administraton have to say. It is a ..erm..interesting read.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/blog/index.asp
getting things to people requires a couple things.... dry land and clear streets.... and you can't plan for a double disaster. it is humanly impossible..... after typical hurricanes the flood water leaves within hours..... this one was different. New Orleans is below sea level ( the new parts anyway) Old new Orleans is dry..... that leave 80% of the city with 2-3 feet of standing water... right now all they can safelyget in place is one crane to do levee repairs ( I got this from a civil engineer who majored in hydrodynamics)....and unlike other locations who yearly deal with Hurricanes... New Orleans evacuees didn't bother to take anything with them ... here in NC we know to take water a couple days food and our own baby care products.... the people in the dome didn't . and the mayor never considered the logistics when at the last moment he opened the dome..10,000 people who didn't come prepared in a place where the genertors won't do AC just emergency lighting .... Pleeze ..... that mans stupidity added to the problem.. the rest falls to the people who live there. they thought it was going to be business as usual after the storm went through and waited until the last minute to run......that's something you don't hear in the British news.....
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