goodness amidst the horrors

Last week we heard that up to 2,500 evacuees might be flown into Tucson. But only one plane arrived, with about 80 people from New Orleans on board. (They did not learn where they were going until the plane was in the air.) That was Wednesday. Tonight the last of these evacuees moved to homes in the Tucson area. Having seen TV pictures of crowded conditions in places like Houston, I have no idea why more people were not sent here. But even this single flight brought a humanitarian response that seems to be taking place all across the country. With a federal government still in denial about the blood on its hands, people who believe compassion is more than a Karl Rove buzzword have turned out en masse to volunteer. Here in Tucson, a flood of volunteers came downtown from all corners of the city. They were clearly a multi-racial, multi-aged, multi-churched bunch. The lower level of the Tucson Convention Center was a sea of cots, surrounded by everything from a pharmacy to food, clothing and even a pet care section. Upstairs the long main hallway was lined on both sides with tables staffed by our county health department, the Red Cross and many other agencies. If this same spirit is carried to the polls, there are going to be big changes in the country next year.