[SWAPlist] hurricane

[ajm5007 at garnet.acns.fsu.edu]

I just thought I'd point out that the resources spent traveling to Mobile 
and back will in all likelihood offset any good you'll actually do. While 
I am certain that your efforts in Mobile will be greatly appreciated on a 
personal level by those involved, if your intentions are to aid people to 
the best of your ability, you are are much better off giving money to a
disaster relief charity (especially a federally funded one). 

Some of you may have your doubts concerning the ability of relief
organizations to provide aid to those in need, but I have researched the
topic at great length in the past, and I have found that in cases such as 
these, unless you have SPECIAL SKILLS that will be of use to the victims, 
you will do the most good simply by donating resources to relief
organizations. 

The money you spend getting to Mobile could be used to deliver much
larger amounts of relief to those in need. The time you spend traveling
there and back could be spent gathering donations in your own community.
The aid you provide while there can be better provided by trained
professionals, whose time you can free up for providing such services by
volunteering within your own community. 

If you really want to help the victims of hurrican Katrina, I suggest you 
all donate as much money as you had intended to spend on this trip to a
relief organization of your choice (I prefer Oxfam America), and donate
as much TIME as you had intended to spend helping others gathering
donations and volunteering in your own community (I volunteer at The
Shleter several times each year). 

I'm not going to try to stop you if you insist on traveling to Mobile.
Perhaps you have personal (i.e., selfish) reasons for wanting to actually 
travel there. However, if your motivation is simply to help people, then
you can best do that by remaining here in Tallahassee. Every hour you
spend on the road benefits no one. Every dollar you spend on gasoline
actually HARMS those people you are trying to help. 

Aaron J Mobley
Department of Philosophy
Florida State University
151E Dodd Hall
850 645-1531
ajm5007 at fsu.edu