Reposted from Vikingprincess' Journal

[willow_25]

As you know if you've been paying any attention to this journal space of late, Nashville is badly off. Very badly off. And a lot of the national news media seems barely to have noticed. That's not the point, though. The point is, you can help.

1. Text 'REDCROSS' to 90999 to donate $10 toward flood relief from your phone bill.
2. Buy a T-shirt - the proceeds go directly to the affected communities.
3. Make a donation or bid on a donated item at Do the Write Thing for Nashville, where authors, agents, and others in the publishing industry are donating time, talent, and who knows what else (possibly including signed books or things written specifically for you; I don't know - it's growing really fast!).

Please, whatever else you may do, don't forget about us. The effects of this disaster will go on for months and years, and we've had very little national news coverage, which will foster the perception that we don't need help, that we're handling it all ourselves. Well, we're doing the best we can, but there's no way this city, this area, this state, can possibly recover on its own. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at the lack of reliable national news, but I am. And also disappointed. But I think I know why they've been slow to start, or ignored the issue almost entirely:

After all, they can't blame FEMA or Washington for a slow response or bad call when no one made an easily politicized bad call, and when the city itself has dug in so hard to save people and take action; plus we've had very little looting or crime - the news services are often all over those, aren't they, to get folks to pay attention (and raise their ratings) through titillation, shock, and vicarious danger? - so what may well end up being the biggest, most costly non-hurricane natural disaster in the United States is pretty easy to ignore if one only wants exciting sounds bites, I suppose.... Also, there's a lot less drama in brown water flooding than in, say, collapsed freeways after an earthquake, right?

I've seen folks along the Gulf pointing out that the oil spill is big, environmentally impacting news with repercussions that will be felt for years - and they're right. Thing is, SO IS THIS. Do you think floodwater is fresh and clean? No, it contains chemicals, pollutants, sewage, filth and disease causers both natural and unnatural. As things dry up (and stagnate in place), the health issues will become WORSE, not better. And that doesn't even begin to account for the homes lost, the businesses destroyed, the lives gone, and the history that's been wiped away by 13.9 inches of rain in just two days.

/rant and plea

Comments

[sp23.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the kick in the pants reminder. I've been meaning to make a relief donation, but, of course, keep forgetting. I've just made a donation to the Salvation Army (my go-to charity) designated for Nashville Flood Relief. I hope everyone in the flood area gets all the help they need regardless of the absolute failure of the MSM to do their fricking jobs!

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I've actually been hearing a lot about the situation down there, but maybe that's because I long ago gave up on depending on the lamestream media for my information.