Oklahoma Tornado Recovery – No Time for Political Retribution [POLL]

Six months after we here in New Jersey have had to deal with the worst natural disaster to hit our shores, another one hits in what is commonly known as the “tornado belt.”

The mind has a hard time conceiving the fact that so much natural disaster could be occurring in such a short amount of time. But given that the horrific images of Moore, Oklahoma flashed on our tv screens and on-line, I ask myself, as I’m sure many are doing the same, “do we have a moral obligation to help our fellow citizens thousands of miles away when we’re still dealing with our own crisis?”

And probably more to the point, since the two Oklahoma senators and 3 of its 5 House members voted against the $60.2 million dollar Sandy aid package, do you feel that some political retribution is in order.

The answer to that is an easy one...no! What makes it easy to answer is the haunting vision of thousands of fellow Americans having lost everything; a feeling that a good many of us know only too well.

Our Governor has said it himself:

Gov. Chris Christie says now is “not a time for political retribution” against the people of Oklahoma victimized by a powerful tornado.

The Governor on Wednesday urged lawmakers in Washington to support “swift and immediate” aid to tornado victims, even though Oklahoma’s two Republican senators voted against bills sending $60 billion in federal aid to victims of Superstorm Sandy, mostly in New Jersey.

Sens. Tom Coburn and James Inhofe were among 36 senators to vote no on the aid package.

Christie says two wrongs don’t make a right.

As Americans, I can’t help but feel that no matter the distance, some measure of generosity would go a long way to allaying the misery of fellow Americans in distress. And there should be no room in our lexicon for the term, "payback is a bitch!"

Especially coming up on Memorial Day Weekend, when the sacrifices of brave men and women not known to us but who’ve still fought to protect our way of life will be commemorated.

The short answer is “give what you can!”

And if you find it within yourself, here are some of the places you can go to help the victims of this terrible tragedy. (Please follow the link.)