In a small group at the denominational conference center in Western, NC, the leader asks the group about their fears. LD says that after Katrina, she got anxious when she heard big thunderstorms or saw torrential rain. The adult leader said, "You're from Gulfport, aren't you? Katrina damaged New Orleans." Then, the adult leader moved on to the next kid.
Urghhh,
St. Casserole
23 comments:
Oh. my. gosh.
I am so sorry she was on the receiving end of this kind of ignorance and insensitivity. That is simply horrible.
Oh, for the love of pete! Of all the ridiculous...
You know, I believe in nonviolence, I really do-- but then I hear something like this, and I just want to slap someone.
I'm sorry, too; and I hope someone spoke to that leader. Such ignorance should not be wandering about loose.
Well that is certainly a comment worthy of, at least, a pie in the face. And then a hands on healing prayer for that adult leader's sensibility to return.
:(
I do hope you (someone?) took them to task - so they can have a chance to learn from their mistakes.
After 9/11 people in FINLAND cringed in fear when planes flew overhead. Hello - finland is nowhere near NYC - but the fear was real!!!
***
Spitting.
WTF?
That is wrong on so many levels.
You've got to be kidding. Most denomiations still have people out on the mission field rebuilding the communities, and many times their church buildings. Guess that escaped their awareness as well. Jeepers.
Oh, St. C, that's awful.
We hates her. Or him. Whoever.
Seriously.
That's just so appalling! But alas it reflects the fact that the news coverage focused on New Orleans and ignored Mississippi--and that continues today. But really everyone in your presbytery should know better.
And don't get me started on the lack of attention to the areas of Texas that were devastated by Hurricane Rita later that same year. Or south Florida struck by Wilma.
It was truly a terrible year for hurricanes.
*mouth drops open*
Maddening!
LD, I am sorry. Most people do know better. I think.
Someone needs to grab the adult leader by the lapels and give him or her a good shake.
So, this group leader was in a coma for the last 3 years, right? And is slowly catching up on news?
WHAT?? Who says things like that? Especially since we have a denomination-run camp there?
I am so sorry LD had that experience. I can temporarily suspend my nonviolence to treat the person like an icky egyptian man from the streets of my old neighborhood in cairo, if you like. That's what water bottles are for, right?
sheesh.
Holy. Shit.
That deserves a phone call to the leader of the conference. And an email to the person who said that with photos from Gulfport attached.
Some of my most traumatized patients are the ones who live/d in Mississippi.
This just makes me mad! Fears are totally real, regardless of where you are from. I have strong anxiety of thunderstroms after having been close to (not actually in) two tornados. I have never expereinced personal loss from a strom, but the fear is there.
LD's fear is there to and shame on the group "leader" for not beign more understanding. I just mentally flipped him/her off!
This made me so mad I had to go away and cool off before commenting!! What a nincompoop!!!
New Orleans will forever be remembered as the biggest victim of Katrina. We can't change that. The man was woefully uninformed and needs to be made aware of his insensitive faux pas.
Oh, I hope hope hope that someone took this leader to task - what an insensitive, ignorant, BS thing to say and do. I'm fuming for LD.
Grrrrrr.....
That leader needs a good slap.
Even if Katrina hadn't hit Gulfport, belittling a child's fears and dismissing her experience would be totally inappropriate for a small group leader at a youth conference. Someone needs to yank him/her back home before more damage is done.
stunned, open-mouthed, silence here.
Please, please tell me you called the retreat center and complained about the adult leader. While New Orleans may be the "face" of the hurricane, the fact that the adult leader didn't accept LD's fears as genuine or real raises huge flags for this youth worker! Why ask the question if they weren't willing to genuinely accept whatever answers they got? I'm getting all fired up!
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