By: Duke Staff
In the wake of the destruction left by Hurricane Harvey, the worst rainstorm in United States history, there are many ways Duquesne students can aid in the relief of the Houston area – and with more than just sympathetic tweets.
One great way to help is through the university’s crowdfunding campaign. Announced by President Gormley yesterday, the money raised will be sent to directly to Spiritans in the Houston area for distribution to those in need – an easy and reliable way to help out. (The donation page can be found at duq.edu/harvey.)
Other great options for donating are the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, the Houston Food Bank, the Texas Diaper Bank and the American Red Cross. If considering other organizations for donations, the website Charity Navigator is useful to help make sure your money is actually going to the proper place.
So yes, the choices of how to act are many. But as for the choice of whether to act, there is none. We at Duquesne must do something to help, for, as citizens and residents of this country, it is our duty to come to the aid of our citizens in this terrible time of need.
As Gormley said in his crowdfunding announcement, there is a direct connection between Duquesne and the area devastated by Harvey. Not only do we have students from the Houston area, but more than 250 alumni are also living in coastal Texas regions. These friends of the campus community need our support and help, as they are in dire situations.
But it’s not just those related to Duquesne who we should be assisting. Presently, there is an unknown number of Americans stranded in waist-deep floodwaters, waiting to be rescued and given shelter, food, potable water, dry clothes, a place to get clean and everything else that we are now taking for granted as we read, safe, sound and dry.
Current political differences and social issues within the United States are causing a terrible reaction of “that’s-what-you-get” attitudes toward this crisis situation. From Ann Coulter tweeting that “it’s God’s punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor” to a University of Tampa professor tweeting that Harvey is “instant Karma” for Texas voting for Trump, the blaming of Texas on both sides of the spectrum is so ridiculous and immature, it’s almost unbelievable.
Is this really what America has become? A place that would rather sit back and blame natural, uncontrollable occurrences on innocent people than try to help prevent said people from perishing?
Get this straight: No one deserves what’s happening in Texas. No matter sexual orientation, political association, immigration status, ethnic background or whatever else we base our prejudices on, no one deserves to have their lives destroyed – and even taken – by a super-destructive event out of everyone’s control.
The devastation of Harvey isn’t a political situation; it’s a humanitarian one that calls for one thing and one thing only: help.
So let’s put our differences aside in order to do just that. Make a donation – not a hate comment – and help bring some peace to this area in need.
