Open Letter to an Unconcerned Citizen

This little diatribe was inspired by my overhearing a conversation between a female customer and another cashier. Feel free to cut and paste a link to this post in your own blog or on-line forum; please do not cut and paste this text. The following post is Weasel's Own Wise Words, Copyright 2005.

Dear Blonde American Female Citizen in Checkout Number One,

I'm the cashier who was standing not ten feet away from you. I overheard your little whine fest as my co-worker rang up your order. I understand that you're "sick and damned tired of hearing about that Hurricane Katrina crap" over and over on the news. I understand that you wish the news channels would simply "drop it and go on with their lives" like you have. I am truly sorry that the news media covering this disaster is disrupting your normal television viewing.

Oh, wait. I'm not.

Lady, all you have to do is push a button on your remote control and change the damned channel. After that, those images disappear; you no longer have to see them again.

I'm pretty sure the people of New Orleans would love to be able to do that; just click a button and poof, their lives would just go back to normal. No floods, no looting, no deaths, no nothing. But guess what? They can't. They have to live through conditions that are best described as Third World in nature. Have you ever had your house collapse around you in 165 mph winds? Have you ever squeezed your mother's hand and told her you loved her before rising floodwaters swallowed her? Have you ever heard your children scream in fear as shots ring out around you while you try to look for food in waist deep waters that are filled with dead bodies and fecal matter? Have you ever helplessly watched a person die of dehydration and heat exhaustion? Have you ever suffered like this at all?

I'm willing to bet your answer is no.

So I say to you, "woman": how dare you. How dare you whine and bitch and complain about your life being inconvenienced when there are people in an American city dying of starvation and sickness. How dare you complain that this is tiring to you, when there are people living in those conditions, dealing with the looters, rapists and murders, along with the potential for disease. You've never seen a person sitting next to you die. You've never had to dig food out of a garbage can for your children. You've never had to constantly look over your shoulder wonder if you'll be raped or shot simply by walking down the street. You've never lost every damn thing you owned, save for the clothes on your back. You've never had to listen helplessly to the screams as your home fills with water, killing your loved ones and pets. You've never had to live through hell.

"Woman", go back home and watch your soaps, reality television or other crap. You, and those like you, are what is wrong with this country today. As for me, I'll contribute what I can to the hurricane relief funds because unlike you, I actually give a damn. As for you, I hope your neighborhood is never struck with a natural disaster. If it is, I hope you learn a very valuable lesson. If you survive to learn it.

Sincerely,

Weasel