Hope & Despair in New Orleans

In the wake of the recent natural disaster - Hurricane Katrina, which struck New Orleans and brought the city to its knees, two things were made distinct. One driven by hope and good-will and the others despair and ill intentions.

Whilst evacuation and rescue works are running, there are reports of countless numbers of murders, sexual assaults and looting occuring in the city. Absolute mayhem, while good people were working hard to set things right.

Perhaps if those who have committed such low and hideous crime would look beyond and reflect, and think twice before they start, they might in turn help the situation impove faster for everyone. Crime hinders restoration...

There was this 14 year old girl that went missing, after she got separated from her parents at the convention centre, the hurricane shelter. 5 hours later, she was found dead. Reports said that she was raped for 4 hours, until she died. Another child, a seven-year old boy was found raped and murdered in a kitchen freezer. How horrifying! How could anyone do such a thing? Doesn't this kind of behaviour in such a time of pain and sorrow, make them lower than any animal, who do not show any form of remorse or thought of guilt?

While New Orleans' poor and downtrodden recounted tales of murder, rape, death threats and near starvation since Hurricane Katrina wrecked this city, as reported by Reuters, there are some people who just seem to make things a little better with their small acts of kindess. Leroy Fouchea, 42, waited in the sweltering heat for an hour to get his ration -- his first proper food since Monday -- and immediately handed it over to a sickly friend.

Hopefully, life in New Orleans will be back to normal soon. In the meantime, lets not forget that there are people who are suffering out there and that hope and good prevail. I am thankful that we are spared such ordeals in Singapore... But suppose if one day, should anything of such a scale should happen... Touch wood... Let us never ever forget that we should only do what is right... and that those who falter, fall and succumb to the crime(s) that they might commit, will be punished in time to come.

For more on Hurricane Katrina - http://news.yahoo.com/fc/World/Hurricanes_and_Tropical_Storms