New Years Eve 2003 pretty much sucked – I went to a dance by myself, was generally ignored despite my lovely gold silk gown, and left disappointed. This year, however, kicked last year’s butt. I was a little worried at first, because as of December 30th my plans consisted of staying at home. That would have been highly disappointing because my resolutions for 2004 consisted entirely of A) having a date for New Years next, and B) getting kissed at midnight for the first time ever.

    This year I can happily report that half of my resolutions were accomplished! My friend Steve (of Zealous fame) and I went to see ‘House of Flying Daggers’ the night of the 30th, and it was then that he suggested we go to the New Years festivities in the historic town of Leesburg, where they were hosting a series of concerts all evening. I’m sure Steve won’t mind if I count this as a date because, dang it, for once I wanted to make a resolution happen, even if it was a silly one.

    Thankfully I managed to find a purse earlier that week that I could use as a camera case, so off Steve and I went with my new camera in tow to Leesburg. (It’s an 8MP Minolta DiMage A2. Mmmm, digital yummies!) I had a great time taking photos, listening to a variety of bands, cracking jokes, talking about this that and the other thing, and realizing that holy freaking crap, in theory I could be married by next New Years Eve. It was a great evening, and I have the pictures to prove it. (Check them out, will you?) By 12:30 we were back on the road, singing merrily, and avoiding drunk drivers.

    In other news, I have something to say that I just have to get off my chest. As I’m sure you all know, the world has been reaching out in generosity and love to the victims of the dreadful disaster throughout southeast Asia. Citizens are donating money, governments are giving freely, and all of that is great. But for some unfathomable reason, some jerk saw this as an opportunity to spread hatred. I’m absolutely sick of it.

    I’ve heard hundreds of nasty comments from too many people, griping that the United States only gave $35 million to the victims initially. Some have even gone so far as to say that if we hadn’t “wasted” so much money on “the only 25 people who died” as a result of the Florida hurricanes, we wouldn’t have been so “stingy.” The next person who says such a thing in my presence is going to get an earful.

    Surely anyone who took the time to listen to what the United States government said when they gave that $35 million would realize that it was “preliminary.” Why was it preliminary? Because the office that is responsible for giving monetary aid is given a specific budget every year. Due to the enormous amount of disasters this year – the wildfires in Colorado, the hurricanes in Florida – that budget was almost entirely spent. That $35 million was all that was left, but the office readily gave it to the affected countries in Asia. They said it was “preliminary” because they had to get approval from other branches of the government in order to increase their budget so that they could send it on to Asia. They gave what they could when they could, and promised more.

    I don’t see the reason for the uproar that ensued. People began blaming President Bush, saying he was a “stupid jerk” for not giving more. If they looked before screaming, they’d realize that President Bush had nothing to do with that figure. People were comparing our meager donation to those of many European nations. If they had listened before ranting, they would have realized that most of those European donations were loans, not gifts, and thus not comparable to the United States’ gift of $35 million. If they had read before spreading anger, they would have realized just how much could be done with $35 million – in India, a mere $300 will buy and ship over 100 liters of water.

    I’m saddened by the speed with which so many people will inject needless political hatred into an already devastating situation. It’s depressing how so many people have attempted to compare this tragedy to that of September 11th, throwing away the vital difference between a natural disaster and cold-blooded murder. It is immature to belittle one tragedy in an attempt to make sense of another. Yes, the scale is much larger when compared to September 11th or the hurricanes in Florida. But when it comes right down to it, each individual victim was somebody’s loved one – the feelings of loss are just as intense for one as for any other.

    As their budget was being increased, the United States also investigated other ways they might be able to help, rather than just throw money at a problem and expect it to go away. They diverted ships, they sent troops, both of which are expensive but worthwhile endeavors. And just as they promised, they donated more money than that initial $35 million. They increased their donation ten-fold.

    What did I hear when the amount was increased to $350 million? Suddenly they changed their tune, but not in the celebratory manner I had expected. Rather, many began to murmur that we were giving too much, or that President Bush was just doing this to save face after international pressure. Both are immature and short-sighted. Will anything make them happy? Do they need to look up what “preliminary” means? Did everyone sleep through their government classes? Or is everyone just so blinded by hatred that nothing will be ever be enough?

    This behavior reminds me of a recent afternoon I spent with my five-year-old nephew. When he couldn’t get what he wanted, he curled up on the floor and refused to do anything else. Nothing was ever good enough and eventually he just threatened us all that he would never come back. My hope for this year is that perhaps we can all just grow up and realize that the government is made up of more than just one figurehead. The government consists of thousands of individuals just like you and me who are generally just trying to do their best. Don’t let disagreements over policy lead to blind hatred, misunderstanding, and persecution of others. Stop the hatred now or democracy has already failed.

    Happy New Year.