By Corin Deans

I did two main things yesterday: joined the march against violence, which needs little discussion, and toured the Lower Ninth Ward, the area most affected by the flooding. Walking through the foundations of houses and seeing the devastation really made me consider the main question that so many of us are faced with when dealing with this situation. Why?
 
I have heard blame placed on many leaders and politicians. I will, however, skip the long reasoning that states, as Ember Melcher said, pointing fingers is useless because you will soon run out of fingers. To think that an organization will prevent a disaster from occurring is foolish. However the question remains why after so many months is
the Lower Ninth Ward a ghost town, populated by the few community members brave enough to set up a center to try to help the locals.
 
We are to blame. The reason for the continuing poor conditions in New Orleans is the apathy on the part of people. All people. The majority of people love the people of New Orleans but not enough to do anything about it. We did not love them. This conclusion shocked me as I walked alone in the streets of the Lower Ninth. After all I have ever known, after all I had seen, it had come to this. I wept for them. We are the richest nation in the world, the ones who "love our neighbor," and we would not help them.
 
I do not often weep and it can be referenced as a measure of the
emotional impact. But I do not want to write a downer that does not show the hope that I feel.
 
Love.
 
I have meet here some of the most loving people I have ever known, and they do not just love, they love enough. Enough to do something. This gives me hope that the world is not in that bad of shape, we have just lost perspective. This city will be rebuilt by the blood, sweat and tears of those that love enough. And that would be the message of hope I would want anyone who reads this to see. Don't just love your neighbor, love him enough to reach out your hands and touch his life.