"I had a dream that everything was normal again."

 “As with any disaster there is invariably an attempt to fix blame. If blame can be fixed, then people may start to believe that the impossible, out-of-control, insane, unbelievable, chaotic, and unfathomable event can be contained, made sense of as to the reasons it occurred, and a sense of control regained as to what went wrong and how it can be made right next time.”

Tonight in my crisis intervention class we discussed disaster relief and while it is expected rightly or wrongly, that there will be disasters in other countries, we Americans often live with the “cannot happen” in our country mentality. We pride ourselves in “controlling” our destiny. Despite our determination, significant disasters have happened and continue to happen, the despairing aftermath of such events continue to have ever-lasting effects on various systems (individuals, families, schools, churches, neighborhoods, mental health agencies, state and national agencies, dept. of homeland security, national professional organizations, and international professional organizations) throughout the United States.

This is not an exposition about who’s to blame or what’s to blame, but after watching a documentary titled Katrina’s Children, which reveals that life is still not back to normal for many children several years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, our nation must do better. After media coverage ends and time moves forward into the next years, we often assume the crisis has been solved. When in reality the slow recovery continues to leave many people, particularly children behind.

The stories, drawings, animations, perceptions, and insightfulness of the beautiful children throughout the film help us to understand the tragic ramifications in a small intimate way. If you have the opportunity, take a look at their empowering stories. They're sure to inspire you.  

 “KATRINA'S CHILDREN is a feature-length documentary about nineteen children from different neighborhoods of New Orleans. Told entirely from the children's point of view, the film explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina on their lives. Aching with sadness, yet grounded in hope, KATRINA'S CHILDREN is ultimately a celebration of children's extraordinary resilience and a tribute to New Orleans' unique and indomitable spirit.”


http://www.katrinaschildren.com/web/html/h0401.html