Letter to the editor

We have just experienced one of the most horrific examples of short-term media attention span involving the recent devastating flooding of millions of acres of farm land and homes throughout the midwest. Where has all the attention gone and what is being done to help those afflicted? As badly as Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans and the Mississippi coast, the midwest flooding had far more reaching effects on the nation as a whole and will ultimately drive food prices through the roof. The time and cost involved in rebuilding the infrastructure and farms, plus the replanting of crops that were just washed away, will be astronomical. Apparently the sight of thousands of people left stranded on roof tops in New Orleans after Katrina struck resonated more personally in peoples minds, but the fact is that the media failed to stay with the story long enough to implant the deadly seriousness of the situation of the midwest flooding in the public mind. Consequentially, the drama played out in hurricane Katrina's smash hit in New Orleans and Biloxi seemed to be a more fascinating news event and attracted a larger audience, but what an injustice it was, and is, to the poor farmers in the midwestern states who lost everything, many of whom will never recover their losses. In my mind the question remains, why was the media so quick to move on before the story had not yet arrived at a final conclusion? Who are the agencies and organized help groups that are participating in the recovery? What, if anything, is being done to deal with the causes and at least find ways to cushion the effects of further disastrous flooding of the heartland of the country? To ignore this dilemma can be described in one word: Callous.

George Morin
Auburn, Ga.