Putting a Band-Aid on Cancer

http://loseaneye.blogspot.com/2009/01/putting-band-aid-on-cancer.html

This article was written as an editorial for the Houston Chronicle. This blogger, Cory Crow, uses this avenue to voice his opinions about the process of disaster relief, specifically in reference to Hurricane Ike, which recently decimated much of the Galveston area (the coastal region of east Texas). His editorial was in rebuttal to an article written by Mike Snyder of the Chronicle.

I was particularly drawn to this editorial for a few reasons. 1. As a resident of the Houston area, these are things and issues that are going on around my hometown. 2. I have family that live in the Galveston area, and while they are not having to rebuild their lives, they have friends who are. Basically, I am a member of the target audience: people who are/know people who were affected by hurricanes (specifically Hurricane Ike). Therefore, I am more emotionally invested in this issue than some other might be and will be more likely to take a stand for/against the issue and voice my opinion. This article was important to me for those same reasons. Everyone wants to be able to help their loved ones be able to rebuilt and restart after any big disaster, and this editorial offers one view on what the best possible way to achieve that it. Therefore, when formulated our own plans and thoughts as an audience, this editorial could be a useful resource and support to us.

Another reason that I was drawn to this article was the title: Putting a Band-Aid on Cancer. This article was about refugees and hurricane victims in Galveston and so I was intrigued as to why the title involved cancer. I came to find out that the author of this editorial was making a comparison. He said that the current view of how to best handle relief efforts was not going to work, and that it was like try to put a band-aid on a cancer patient; ineffective and off-track. So, even the title of this editorial made me stop and think about the ideas being presented, which is something that I really liked and appreciated.