The Depravity & Grace of the Human Soul

The past couple weeks have been a little rough for this country. Hurricane Katrina swept through south Florida then hammered the Gulf Coast, giving us all images of devastation we haven't seen here since 9/11. While my heart has gone out to all the victims of the storm, I can't also wonder about a few things.
Depravity:
> Politicians in both Parties - Why did the political finger pointing began before the eye of the storm got out of Louisiana and Mississippi?
> EVACUATE! - While I understand the inability of the poor to evacuate, I'm baffled by the people who could afford to evacuate and didn't. I grew up in north Florida and now live in Southern California. If given the choice of natural disasters, I would choose a major hurricane over a 9.0 earthquake every time simply because you can see a hurricane coming hundreds of miles away. This to me is A: stupidity, B: naivete at Mother Nature's power and C: stupidity
> Looters - I would be among the first people looking out for myself and my loved ones and looting the hell out of stores for food, water, diapers, batteries and other things to keep me alive. But the people who are looting TVs, stereos, Playstations and beer & liquor are petty thieves and fall into a very special class of asshole.
> Shooters - Who the hell shoots at rescuers? Seriously. Why would someone shoot at people trying to help you, even if it has been a long response? The first rule in an emergency operation is Rescuer Safety. Hundreds of firefighters, police and other emergency responders get injured and killed every year because the job in and of itself is dangerous. These men and women are rescuing people from toxic flood waters with any number of hazards. For all the political temper tantrums about slow rescue operations, those people should have been left alone to fend for themselves.
> Anarchy - Why did the city of New Orleans spiral into a mass of lawlessness? How many people trapped in a flooded city died from violent crimes? Is this country really this close to anarchy without a police presence?
Grace:
> Deamonte Love, a 6-year-old boy walking down the road near an evacuation point in downtown New Orleans, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader. They were holding hands. Three of the children were about two years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A three-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them.
> Donations - Less than two weeks after the storm hit the Gulf Coast, private gifts have soared to nearly $700 million, a pace exceeding the response to the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 (from Yahoo! News)
> Aid from the world - Impoverished Bangladesh, where millions live on a monsoon- and flood-prone delta, pledged $1 million and offered rescuers. Thailand, recalling U.S. aid after last year's tsunami, offered to send 60 doctors and nurses as well as rice as a "gesture from the heart."
They are among more than 90 countries, rich and poor, proposing assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina, with Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates contributing "very large cash" donations, the State Department said Tuesday.
The Bush administration eagerly accepted a German offer of high-speed pumps to reduce the floodwaters in New Orleans and a Dutch offer of experts on levee reconstruction. (from FOXnews.com)

There are more uplifting stories in the aftermath of Katrina, but the depraved stories get better ratings. Seek out the good ones and help in any way you can. You can donate to the Red Cross or the Salvation Army on their websites.

Thanks.