The devastation of this disaster is still too incredible to be contemplated. I can’t imagine what the final toll will be in life and property. And I don’t know what will happen not only to New Orleans, but the entire region laid waste by the hurricane. I’ve never seen anything like it. Like a friend of ours, I was tuning out info about this storm before it hit — even when it hit — thinking that I’d seen this kind of coverage before. I don’t know when I started listening again. It might have been when they said that evacuees wouldn’t be allowed back for at least a month, schools and services wouldn’t be back for six months.

And I think the ripples from this will spread.

They may already be starting to spread. Reports are that those in the convention center, who had been in the most disgusting and desperate conditions any of us ever hope to survive were “for the most part orderly and grateful” when getting in lines to receive food. And interesting to hear so many reports of people looking on the oncoming military as their rescuers: “I feel great to see the military here. I know I’m saved.” I’m not saying there won’t be a lot of horror still to come, but I also believe that if Americans — who are still basically a Christian people — know that there is something bigger than death and misery and filth, it works a small miracle in them that spreads. Part of what has been lacking for the generation of Baby Boomers and those that followed is that there was nothing either good enough or bad enough to make the worst things in life paltry by comparison.

Not that there still won’t be a choice. We’ve all heard by now of the looters and those who apparently needing little enticement to revert to complete lawlessness. But their theft and arson will probably pale beside the professional crooks who will surely move in in their wake, looking to crack bank safes and take millions of dollars of merchandise if they can.

And none of these thieves will scar the nation’s dignity like the revolting behavior of black “leaders” like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who said, “If we were not dealing with black people and poor people, we would not be dealing with this snail’s pace reaction.” Is it just because I’m an eternal optimist that I choose to believe that these clowns are finally overplaying their tired hand with this one? If so, I choose to keep the rose-colored glasses on a while longer. To have to comprehend that blacks would actually believe that whites would intentionally let them die horribly is unthinkable.

By the way, here’s a link to the IOCC page showing how people can assemble baggies full of necessities for the refugees. It’s probably still true that giving money is a smarter thing to do, because the charities can buy things at prices you and I can’t, but I think there’s also a place for this kind of action. And if you say prayers over the materials you prepare and send, I think that has impact as well. (If you want to read some stories about the reunions and the too-few happy endings, go to Michelle Malkin’s site HERE for links.)

There will be collections in church tomorrow for sure. We all ought to plan to give for some time to come. It makes a bit of sense to me to give to smaller faith-based organizations closer to the impacted area for now — like the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief — and let the big guys like Red Cross wait till later. Personally, after the debacle they made of 9-11 care, I’d make the Red Cross wait a really long time, but that’s probably just me.