Human Nature

I’ve been watching (too closely probably) the news about the Hurricane aftermath. The various media reporters are always looking for the ‘human angle’ in their stories and they certainly have much to choose from here. And as I am watching I can’t help but ponder the nature of 'human nature.'

That people are even willing to be interviewed or photographed for the national media seems extraordinary to me. But they are willing, and what they say, in these extraordinary circumstances, and how they say it, is worth attending to if you want to understand something about who Americans are in this age.

They talk of helping – neighbors pulling neighbors out of flooded homes, rescuers risking their own safety and comfort to help others – and of miraculous survival. There are stories of efforts to save a stranded seal; and joy at the survival of a pelican. People want their loved ones to know they are OK. There is great sadness. Promises to rebuild and assurances that they’ll come out of this OK are heartfelt and hopeful. One woman just looked around her and said “there are no words…”

And then there are scenes of looting. What is the “nature” of a person who would have stealing jeans and jewelry as their first reaction to a disaster of this magnitude? Sorry, but “I’ve been oppressed” just doesn’t even begin to explain, much less excuse. And there was the man who was so angry that “they” haven’t done anything to help him yet… But those were the exceptions, not the rule.

I want to think I know our “nature.” That we are a people of integrity, ability, character and self-sufficiency. That we value life over everything but liberty. That we appreciate beauty and grieve its loss. That we love with an almost unlimited capacity. That we can be outraged. That we help others when we can, but we know we are responsible for ourselves. That in the face of disaster, we can find no words, but we act.