So, do you remember how Hollywood did a big telethon for Hurricane Katrina survivors? You know . . . the one where Kanye West stood by a seemingly uncomfortable Mike Myers and told the country that “George Bush hates black people.” Yeah . . . well, I don’t know what George Bush’s true heart of hearts is, and that’s not why I am writing this (I didn’t vote for him, but I don’t think he hates black people – he had Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell on his staff for goodness sake).
My question is this: does Hollywood hate farmers and regular, heartland Americans? Ted Webb, filling in for Todd Schnit on the Schnitt Show yesterday, brought up a great point: where’s Hollywood? Where’s the big telethon? We did them for Katrina and 9/11 victims/survivors – as we should have. We need to help our fellow Americans when the chips are down. But, where’s the love for our neighbors in the flooded areas of Iowa and other states? I heard that thousands of jobs have been lost. People have lost their homes and possessions. According to an article on the Time.com, “In Iowa the cost mounts: 20% of the corn crop has drowned, 38,000 people have been displaced, and Cedar Rapids alone may need $1 billion to recover.”((Source: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1816495,00.html accessed on June 20, 2008).
So, since Hollywood (except the good folks at Farm Aid) sits silently, I challenge everyone else to get involved.
This is my official start of the Great American Blog-a-thon, which I just made up. Now, I am not setting up a way to collect money (although I will have links to charities). I am asking that you donate to the Red Cross, Farm Aid’s Family Farm Disaster Fund, or other organizations serving these people. The Red Cross has been meeting the needs of survivors, but their supplies are depleting (read http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_281_7859,00.html). Let’s face it: it’s hard to give money when gas is $4.00/gallon and food costs are rising. But, there are ways we can pull together to help:
- Car Pool for a Cause: if you and some coworkers/friends carpool for one week, you each will save some money. Donate all (or a portion) of that money for a donation to the Red Cross or other organizations serving these flood victims.
- Homemade Help: if you usually eat out during the week, skip it – just for one week – and give that money to charity. It’s just week of your life to stay home and make dinner or prepare your lunch to bring to work/school.
When I receive my next pay check on July 1, I will be donating to the Farm Aid Family Farm Disaster Relief Fund and the Red Cross.
Where to Donate to be part of the Great American Blog-a-thon (nothing official - I just made it up):
Farm Aid Family Farm Disaster Relief Fund (the only entertainer-affiliated group that I have seen doing something)
American Red Cross (choose “Disaster Relief Fund”)
University of Iowa Flood Relief Fund (read their blog then donate online)
Coralville/Iowa City Area Flood Relief Fund (click here to learn more) All contributions to this Fund are tax-deductible and should be sent to Community Foundation of Johnson County, 325 East Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa 52240 - Note "Flood Relief Fund." For more information, contact Mike Stoffregen, Executive Director, at 319.337.0483.
As someone who sells light bulbs for a living, I am less enthusiastic than most about compact fluorescent bulbs. This is due to the fact that the ones currently available contain significant amounts of mercury. If one of these bulbs should break inside of a person’s home, it could cause a challenging disposal situation. It is my belief that the technology should progress to a point at which the mercury levels are low or nonexistent before people changeover their entire homes. Another consideration is that as these bulbs burn out, they will most likely be thrown away as though they are normal rubbish and landfills will have incredibly high levels of mercury in their soil as a result.