Over my spring break last week, I went on my school’s Alternative Spring Break Trip down to New Orleans.  Honestly, I didn’t really think much about it before I went.  I wasn’t going for a passion I had for New Orleans or a sense of duty to help the people affected by Hurricane Katrina.  But all of that changed when I got there. 

Although my leaders had prepared me, I was still shocked to see the number of empty houses and businesses driving into New Orleans.  Even when people and families are returning, big companies haven’t come back because there is no incentive for them too.  In some areas, they are still houses sitting there with destroyed belonging in them.  As news coverage has stopped, it’s easy to underestimate the reality in New Orleans.  I don’t think you can understand it until you’ve experienced it, but there is still so much more that needs to be done. 

As hopeless as all of this seems, my trip was still very inspiring.  My friends who had been last year said there were huge improvements between last year and this.  And experiencing New Orleans gave me hope.  It is a very special place and the way people there are fighting for their community to come back is incredible.  People were very appreciative of our efforts.  As I was checking out in Walgreens, the woman thanked me and said they really appreciate everyone coming down there.  At our Habitat sites, other people would honk as the drove by.  At dinner on night, a guy in the band came over and thanked us.  The way the people in New Orleans love their community is truly inspiring and knowing that there were 700 other people there that week to help rebuild reminded me that so many other people care about New Orleans too. 

As much as it’s easy for us to criticize our government for not doing anything or doing the wrong things, this trip reminded me that no matter what criticisms we have, we still have the responsibility to get involved.  By doing the little that we can do, things will get better and I know it sounds cheesy, but this trip restored my faith in the American people. 

So I was on Facebook, procrastinating as usual, when I came across this group “Tips for all women… please join… and pass on.”   The group has posted safety and self defense tips for women, like if someone asks for your wallet, throw it instead of hand it to them  because you can run.  Or, if you are ever locked in a trunk, kick out the back window and waive your arm like crazy.  Or what to do if you are in a car with a gun held to your head.

I absolutely do not want to be insensitive to women who are victims of crime, and I definitely agree it is always better safe than sorry.  Raising awareness of how to be safe is always a good thing.  But I feel like I want to draw a line between being safe and being obsessed and having irrational fears.  Reading this Facebook page, I couldn’t help to think about when we stop becoming safe and start becoming irrational.  Advice for getting into a car in the parking garage:  “If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door.  Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.”  I’m up for discussion, but I get the feeling that statements like this can create an irrational fear of serial killers in mall parking lots.   

What do you all think?  Do we create irrational fears?

In Howard Kurtz’s Washington Post Media Notes column, yesterday’s article expresses the complainants of various reporters that this primary is taking way to long and they are sick of covering it.  He quotes Ana Marie Cox, a Time reporter and blogger, saying: “Of course it's historic, it's amazing, I feel lucky to be covering it. But how many more stories do I have to read, or be forced to write, about when Hillary will drop out?”

Here’s an idea: stop writing about when candidates will drop out and cover more important things, like the issues.  Granted it’s important to cover the developments of the race, but it is unnecessary to over-saturate coverage by hypothesizing over when she will drop out.  These stories aren’t important.  What’s the point in obsessing over the hypothetical – just wait until we find out and in the meantime, do your job and don’t complain about it.