General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Using "them" as an excuse to post cold heartless shit doesn't excuse your cold heartlessness. [View all]jeff47
(26,549 posts)The solution to the humanitarian problem is to give aid. And we will.
But that leaves the political problem. Virtually all of Oklahoma's congressional delegation voted against disaster aid to other communities. Oklahomans voted for more suffering in the face of disaster. That can not be ignored.
Oklahomans voted against disaster preparedness, and against regulations that would require real tornado shelters in schools. Hell, they voted against public storm shelters at all. That can not be ignored.
Because ignoring those separates the consequences from action. It continues the treatment of politics as "Real Housewives of DC" instead of the critically important activity it really is.
"What about the kids, the non-citizens or the non-voters??" Well, Oklahomans really didn't have much concern for kids, non-citizens and non-voters located elsewhere. And actions have consequences. Non-voters should be especially abused - they couldn't be bothered to vote for storm shelters, and now 20+ kids are dead.
We need to come up with a way to give aid, while also highlighting this major political problem. Oklahomans need to understand they are getting help despite their votes of "fuck you" to everyone else who has been through a disaster in the last decade or so. Somehow, they need to learn that those votes matter.
And I don't have a good solution to fixing the humanitarian problem and the political problem simultaneously. Denying aid is reprehensible. But so is maintaining the political status quo.