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The Catalogue of Philanthropy announced this week that Mississippi
again ranks as the most generous and charitable state in the nation.
The generosity index compares "having" and "giving"
and while our average income ranks the lowest in the country, we rank
sixth highest in giving by dollar amount; that ratio ranks us the highest
of all in generosity. Reports like this reassure us those around the
country see the positive image of our state, but no one who knows Mississippi
and our people should be in the least bit surprised. To know our character,
one would only need to observe our response to Hurricane Katrina.
We saw acts of courage and heroism from first responders and the National
Guard and a little boy who swam through flood waters to save his younger
brother. We saw acts of compassion from our churches and charities and
a single mother who lost everything but was willing to share her only
meal with neighbors.
The worst tragedies reveal the best character. America watched Katrina
pound the Coast, flood our homes, level our towns. But when the storm
passed over, we remained firm and resolute. With sorrow in our hearts
for loved ones lost, friends and families scattered, and lifetimes of
accumulated earthly possessions destroyed - together Mississippi took
one day at a time and one step at a time. Those who could barely stand-up
themselves helped their neighbors to their feet. This is the character
America and the world saw in Mississippi. Families and towns and companies
across the nation responded and the floodgates opened as food and supplies
and fuel and prayers poured into Mississippi. The flood of personal
compassion and generosity overwhelmed the flood and damage of Hurricane
Katrina. For this, Mississippi is thankful.
While serving on the House Select Committee on Katrina Response, I
see the mistakes of the federal government in preparation and response
to Katrina. Part of America's character is not that we don't make mistakes,
but that when we do we get back up and correct and improve. This strength
- as much as our compassion - is the strength of democracy and provides
a correcting focus for the future. Mississippi's resilient and compassionate
character also embraces humility. We learn from our mistakes and seek
to correct our plans and responses for the future. There will be another
hurricane and next time we will be better prepared to handle the emergency.
The examination of this catastrophe will help us save lives in future
events around the country - be they terrorist attacks or natural disasters.
Mississippi will contribute to this improvement of America's first response.
For this, Mississippi is thankful.
Hurricane Katrina continues to be a crisis testing, refining and revealing
our character as Mississippians. Our rebuilding is far from complete,
but we are helping each other recover and we seek a renewal, a renaissance,
a reformation of the Mississippi Coast. Many folks are still in dire
need, but we have made progress. We will not only rebuild but we will
attract new investments and vibrant businesses. Our towns and homes
will be built stronger than before. And communities that have been through
this tragedy together are now more unified and closer than ever. For
this, Mississippi is thankful.
Thursday, my wife Leisha and our five boys will be in Waveland at St.
Clair's Catholic School for a special Thanksgiving Day dinner. My parents
and three sisters and their families will be there as well. Congressman
Gene Taylor and his family, and MSNBC's Joe Scarborough will join us
in a Thanksgiving Day banquet for one of the hardest hit communities
on the Gulf Coast. This is an opportunity to share in both the heartache
and the answered prayers of people who have lost everything but remain
proud and determined Mississippians. There will be tears and there will
be laughter; there will be times of reflection and discussions of the
future.
This will also be an opportunity to remind the rest of the country
of the needs of Mississippians on the Coast. We are a proud people who
do not like to ask for help. But it is important for us to know that
the rest of the country has not forgotten us. As Hurricane Katrina fades
from the attention of the national media, many believe everything is
now fine. They don't realize people are sleeping in tents on concrete
slabs that used to be their homes. They don't realize kids are going
to tattered school buildings that lack teaching materials. They don't
realize that fathers and mothers are driving hundreds of miles a day
to work and return home because their jobs on the Coast have been wiped
away. We know if America sees the need, the goodness in people's hearts
will continue to respond. But they need to know that Mississippi is
not yet whole, but that we are working through faith and hope and love
and that overcomes any despair.
Hurricane Katrina will remind us all what we're thankful for this Thursday.
So much was lost, but we are still so blessed. We have the love of our
families and friends. We have our lives. We have the freedom and opportunity
of the greatest country on earth. We have the faith of the giver of
all blessings.
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and remember in your thoughts
and prayers the needs of others. This holiday season will be a time
when we all remember again, it is more blessed to give than to receive.
Congressman Chip Pickering serves Mississippi's Third Congressional
District. In his fifth term, he is Vice-Chairman of the Energy and Commerce
Committee and assistant majority whip. He serves on the Bipartisan Select
Committee on Katrina Response. For more columns and news visit his web
site at www.house.gov/pickering online.
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