I say it was a humbling experience for many reasons. It was humbling to understand how lucky we were here in Poughkeepsie. It was humbling to hear the tales of selfish heroism by everyday Joes and Janes. It was humbling to understand that in spite of all the complains we might have about our elected officials, in situations like this they all step up to the plate. This kind of disasters erase the differences between Republicans and Democrats, or differences in race or religious beliefs. We all know that it could have been us.

 

We can help the victims. We can donate money, clothing or even our time; we can stay in touch with those displaced from their homes to make sure they know we're here for them. What we cannot do is just ignore the magnitude of the disaster which hit one of the most populated areas of our country.

 

More than anything, when we look at the reactions of people in the face of this wrath of nature, we can be proud of being Americans. And we can prove it not only by helping the victims, but also by voting on Tuesday November 6^th. Not just to decide who will sit in the White House for the next four years, but more than that to express our pride as citizens of this great and generous society.