Number killed by the waves in Asia: 44,000 people at the last report...so spooky. These are the disasters that make the history books. It seems the American news only became really concerned when stories surfaced about American tourists who were among the people killed; but last time I checked, the local Asian residents who were killed were people, too. And when times are tough, they don't have big nation-wide welfare systems paying them Social Security and disability and unemployment and food stamps and such.
If you're working with a charity group and you have money to donate, here are a few organizations I know make good use of their funds:
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
I was disappointed about the U.S. when they'd say something like, "The death toll in Sri Lanka is 6,000, three of them are Americans." Then they'd go in and focus on the American part of the story. Then they'd say something like, "...and some of you are wondering, 'could something like this happen in the United States?' Lets go to so-and-so to find out."
Posted by: Wickwire | December 29, 2004 at 09:41 AM