Differences-Not What You Likely Think This Will Be About

[Kathianne]

Not about Trump or even 'the right and left.' More basic, men & women. Perhaps some hope?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-photo-proves-chivalry-alive-and-well-america-ashley-mcguire-column/618567001/


<section id="module-position-QOk2mbvvTm0" class="storytopbar-bucket story-headline-module story-story-headline-module" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Hurricane Harvey photo proves chivalry is alive and well in America
Ashley McGuirePublished 2:48 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2017 | Updated 12:38 p.m. ET Sept. 1, 2017



</section>Men are the stronger sex, and crises such as these offer men the opportunity to put their strength in service of others.


In a viral photo (http://abc7ny.com/weather/photo-of-mom-and-babys-rescue-becomes-symbol-of-storm/2351882/) from the Associated Press, a woman is pictured cradling her baby as a man carries them both to safety amid the Hurricane Harvey floods. While the image is quaint, it has a thoroughly modern feel. She has a topknot, leggings and Hunter rain boots.

She could be me.

The image has become iconic of the still unfolding disaster, a photographic balm on a nation still wounded deeply from the vitriolic events at Charlottesville (https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2017/08/13/charlottesville-protests-what-we-know-now/562911001/) and elsewhere. Thousands upon thousands have shared the image on social media, many adding the phrase, “This is America (https://twitter.com/RedTRaccoon/status/902935763226157056).”

But the picture has also sparked jokes about “toxic masculinity (https://twitter.com/AmandaPresto/status/902006123418537984)” as some sarcastically remind others of the reality that in a crisis such as this, it is typically strong men pulling terrified victims from danger.

This is no time for jokes or sarcasm. The picture however, is a reminder of the reality that men and women are different, and that those differences can serve society for the better.

Men are the stronger sex, and crises such as these offer men the opportunity to put their strength in service of others. Moments such as this give even the most ordinary of men the chance to become valorous, to become heroes. In one of the most touching hurricane images I have seen, a man in a soiled shirt and sweats clutches the hood of a sinking car and peers inside for victims (https://twitter.com/AmandaPresto/status/902006123418537984) to save. He’s no brawny SWAT officer like the man in the AP photo, but he’s every bit as heroic.


But the AP photo also captures the sacrifice that women make. Connie Pham heroically gave up her body in order to bring new life into the world. No doubt she put her own safety at risk to stay behind with a vulnerable child. Escaping a flood of Biblical proportions is quite a bit harder to do with a 13-month-old in tow. In the picture, she grasps her baby with an intensity familiar to any mother.

Indeed, as some have pointed out, the scene captured in the photo is almost reminiscent of the Nativity. Silent masculine strength, maternal beauty and innocence.
It's also reminiscent of another national incident from earlier this year when a male United passenger who became known to the nation as the “second row guy (http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/23/opinions/cell-phone-democracy-airlines-opinion-cevallos/index.html)” stood up to a gruff flight attendant hitting a sobbing mother in the face with her stroller.

Again, she could be me.

The video went equally viral, spawning article upon article praising the man’s heroism, simply for trying to protect a woman. A mom.


The reality is that our culture is hungry for chivalry. But chivalry demands as a starting point an understanding that women are deserving of it. And that requires acknowledging that women are different. It requires a celebration of their differences, particularly those that enable them to bring the next generation of life into the world.

The AP photo is important. In it, the man and woman each do something the other cannot. They are co-equal contributors who in their own way have given of themselves so that someone more vulnerable might live. And all of this points towards what’s at the center of the photo, a child. Men and women are different, and we help each other be our best selves by helping direct our focus towards those who are more vulnerable.

It's just one picture, and yet it's so much more. It's the inarguable reminder when things get real, and get real fast, we men and women are very much not the same. And yet we love it. We love it, because when men and women work together, unthreatened by those differences, it is a beautiful sight to behold.

[Abbey Marie]

Amen.

[SassyLady]

Thank God for men! If a man wants to carry me to safety I'm more than willing to let him. It does not make me feel less or more about my feminity or personal strength. Everyone has their strengths... mine is knowing when to cede to a man's innate drive to save and protect. A strong, self confident woman who is comfortable in her own skin is not afraid of "toxic masculinity". Welcomes it. No arguments here!

I love having masculinity in my vicinity!
:coffee:

[Kathianne]

Yep, nothing toxic about anyone who can save children or me! Doesn't mean that men can do everything that women can, I'm talking beyond child bearing too.

The differences should be celebrated and used, not used to further divide.

Could it be that some folks are being 'woke?'

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Not about Trump or even 'the right and left.' More basic, men & women. Perhaps some hope?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/31/hurricane-harvey-photo-proves-chivalry-alive-and-well-america-ashley-mcguire-column/618567001/
So sad, that this was once taught in our culture by majority of fathers.
My dad taught s to not only protect each other, our mother and sisters but others in great need..
I can only speak for the South, being born and raised here, but those kind and brave acts where things we once were taught as kids to do
if able.
I have never failed to heed my father and grandfather's instructions(HAVE PAID THE PRICE TOO), in regards to, women and children.
We learned, we are honor bound to sacrifice our own safety to protect women and children.
Sad that such is not taught as often as it once was...
Yet those images show, some were taught and they did do the honorable thing-- not for any material gain but out of kindness, honor and manly duty, IMHO.-TYR

[Kathianne]

So sad, that this was once taught in our culture by majority of fathers.
My dad taught s to not only protect each other, our mother and sisters but others in great need..
I can only speak for the South, being born and raised here, but those kind and brave acts where things we once were taught as kids to do
if able.
I have never failed to heed my father and grandfather's instructions(HAVE PAID THE PRICE TOO), in regards to, women and children.
We learned, we are honor bound to sacrifice our own safety to protect women and children.
Sad that such is not taught as often as it once was...
Yet those images show, some were taught and they did do the honorable thing-- not for any material gain but out of kindness, honor and manly duty, IMHO.-TYR

I don't think it was only the 'South,' at least where I grew up it was normal for some division of labor based upon strength. Without a doubt technology has changed what were once roles assigned on strength. For example: power mowers, ovens, power tools, etc., have made once 'heavy work' easily done by others. The time devoted to hunting or gathering wood for the 'stove' are gone for the most part. Women are educated and able to do many jobs once only considered for males.

However! When the modern systems fail, for any reason, the differences become crushingly evident. That's what was seen in TX over the past weeks. An average woman cannot stand up to a current the way an average man will be able to. At 5'5, they will be underwater much sooner than someone that's 5'10.

I'm not for turning back to the 'little women should stay home,' which doesn't change reality of the differences. Women though should not denigrate what men's potentials are or deduce that because they can hook up a computer to a car and fix 'anything a man could,' that it makes them able to participate in the special forces. Oh sure there's plenty of tech on the battlefields today, but when the SHTF, it's brute strength and quick decisions that will get one through. If the tech is destroyed, it's strength that's needed to move and move quickly.

What was seen in TX is the reality of what happens when all the modern improvements of the past 125 years are gone; albeit temporarily. It was a wake up call for many.

[jimnyc]

Natural disasters like this - they don't discriminate based on sex or color.

I saw folks of every color helping one another. I saw folks of all color out there helping one another. I saw some black folks getting their various boats ready to go out and try and save people, and the same from white folks.

It's absolutely amazing how Americans can get together and accomplish so much TOGETHER. We truly do have an amazing country and an endless amount of good people.

Of course it will be forgotten before long, but it's nice to see such reminders now and again, especially during the rough times we are seeing otherwise.

[jimnyc]

Some more stories seeing good folks coming out to help one another. I love it when folks don't even see color or who is richer than who. Just good people wanting to help one another. And yeps, religion play no part either. Good for all of them!

---

In devastated Houston, 'nobody hates anybody' as people come together

Houston (AFP) - The traffic jams are back on the vast highways lacing through the heart of Houston, and the sun is shining again.

Many Houstonians are still trying to salvage what they can from their flooded homes. But one word captures the mood in the most racially diverse US city: solidarity.

"Come on in!" calls Sarah Osborne without a moment's hesitation, as she opens the door to her red brick home, a US flag planted on a tree near the entrance.

Standing before her -- hammers in hand, dust masks around their neck -- are four young men who introduce themselves as members of Ahmadiyya, of the Ahmadi sect, the oldest Muslim-American organization in the United States.

Since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas a week ago unleashing a deluge that flooded Houston, youths from the organization -- which has some 700 members in Houston and 5,000 throughout the country -- have gathered to help storm victims.

Wearing a work apron over his jeans, a cap and fluo sneakers, the dynamic Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association spokesman Rahman Nasir says that his members have rescued some 20 families by boat. As the flood waters recede they have also helped clear debris from 20 to 30 homes.

At Sarah and Robert Osborne's house the youths use their hammers to tap open the bottom of the walls and pull out waterlogged drywall. With a wheelbarrow, they dump loads of debris onto the pavement in Houston's Westbury neighborhood.

Ruined furniture, soggy carpet and cracked mirrors litter the neighborhood lawns -- scenes repeated everywhere as neighbors, friends and previously unknown volunteers help carry out household items, either to dry in the sun or to be removed as trash.

- Texas stigma -

"That's the spirit of this city, everybody is just helping everybody," says Sarah Osborne. "People just help each other. That doesn't matter, the color of your skin, or where you're from, or what your religion is, or whatever."

Her husband Robert adds: "There's a stigma in Texas that we're racists, we're white, that we're anti-Muslims or anti-homosexuals or just anti-everything, we're Bible-thumping, shot-gun blasting -- and it couldn't be further from the truth about Houston, because our city is so diverse."

Census figures show that Houston is the most racially diverse city in the United States, more even than New York and Los Angeles.

Nasir, a 23-year-old student who grew up in Houston, agrees with Robert.

"If we were to believe the news, I would get a slammed door in my face. But in reality people welcome us and welcome our service," he said.

Beyond the expressions of solidarity, the trauma of sudden loss is also evident in this neighborhood.

Rest - https://www.yahoo.com/news/devastated-houston-nobody-hates-anybody-people-come-together-162101110.html

[jimnyc]

And love him, hate him, disagree or agree with him, even Trump is there again. That's twice in a week surveying the place, and he forked over his own cash, whether some think 1 million dollars wasn't enough. He's trying to do the right thing at least.

---

Trump greeted warmly by storm victims at Houston relief center

HOUSTON, Sept 2 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump visited a relief center in Houston on Saturday to meet with victims of Harvey, the catastrophic storm that triggered severe flooding in Texas and presented his young administration with its most challenging domestic crisis.

Trump earlier landed at Ellington Field military base in Houston after a flight from Washington, dressed in a black rain jacket with no tie.

On his second visit to the devastated state this week, the president was accompanied by his wife Melania Trump, who wore a baseball cap emblazoned with the word "Texas," green khaki trousers and walking shoes.

The visit gave the president an opportunity to show a warm and empathetic side to victims of the worst storm to hit Texas in 50 years. Some have criticized him for staying clear of the disaster zone during a visit on Tuesday, when he said he did not want to hamper rescue efforts.

At NRG Stadium, the president and first lady hugged and shook hands with people forced out of their homes by the widespread floods. At one point, Trump picked up a child and kissed her on the cheek, and he later sat with a boy playing with toys. Some of evacuees took selfies with the first couple.

After meeting with flood survivors and volunteers who assisted in relief efforts in Houston, Trump will move on to Lake Charles, Louisiana, an area hammered by the storm later in the week, the White House said.

While Trump visits the region, attention will also turn to Minute Maid Park, where the Houston Astros play their first home baseball games since Harvey devastated the fourth-most populous U.S. city. The Saturday doubleheader with the New York Mets is expected to be wrought with emotion and punctuated with moments to honor the dozens who died as a result of Harvey.

The storm, one of the costliest to hit the United States, has displaced more than 1 million people, with 46 feared dead from flooding that paralyzed Houston, swelled river levels to record highs and knocked out the drinking water supply in Beaumont, Texas, a city of 120,000 people.

Rest - http://news.trust.org/item/20170902082009-osuie

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Some more stories seeing good folks coming out to help one another. I love it when folks don't even see color or who is richer than who. Just good people wanting to help one another. And yeps, religion play no part either. Good for all of them!

---

In devastated Houston, 'nobody hates anybody' as people come together

Houston (AFP) - The traffic jams are back on the vast highways lacing through the heart of Houston, and the sun is shining again.

Many Houstonians are still trying to salvage what they can from their flooded homes. But one word captures the mood in the most racially diverse US city: solidarity.

"Come on in!" calls Sarah Osborne without a moment's hesitation, as she opens the door to her red brick home, a US flag planted on a tree near the entrance.

Standing before her -- hammers in hand, dust masks around their neck -- are four young men who introduce themselves as members of Ahmadiyya, of the Ahmadi sect, the oldest Muslim-American organization in the United States.

Since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas a week ago unleashing a deluge that flooded Houston, youths from the organization -- which has some 700 members in Houston and 5,000 throughout the country -- have gathered to help storm victims.

Wearing a work apron over his jeans, a cap and fluo sneakers, the dynamic Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association spokesman Rahman Nasir says that his members have rescued some 20 families by boat. As the flood waters recede they have also helped clear debris from 20 to 30 homes.

At Sarah and Robert Osborne's house the youths use their hammers to tap open the bottom of the walls and pull out waterlogged drywall. With a wheelbarrow, they dump loads of debris onto the pavement in Houston's Westbury neighborhood.

Ruined furniture, soggy carpet and cracked mirrors litter the neighborhood lawns -- scenes repeated everywhere as neighbors, friends and previously unknown volunteers help carry out household items, either to dry in the sun or to be removed as trash.

- Texas stigma -

"That's the spirit of this city, everybody is just helping everybody," says Sarah Osborne. "People just help each other. That doesn't matter, the color of your skin, or where you're from, or what your religion is, or whatever."

Her husband Robert adds: "There's a stigma in Texas that we're racists, we're white, that we're anti-Muslims or anti-homosexuals or just anti-everything, we're Bible-thumping, shot-gun blasting -- and it couldn't be further from the truth about Houston, because our city is so diverse."

Census figures show that Houston is the most racially diverse city in the United States, more even than New York and Los Angeles.

Nasir, a 23-year-old student who grew up in Houston, agrees with Robert.

"If we were to believe the news, I would get a slammed door in my face. But in reality people welcome us and welcome our service," he said.

Beyond the expressions of solidarity, the trauma of sudden loss is also evident in this neighborhood.

Rest - https://www.yahoo.com/news/devastated-houston-nobody-hates-anybody-people-come-together-162101110.html

Those young muslim men are to be admired for their decency, kindness and actual deeds. I was taught by my parents and grandparents, to always give respect where it is righteously due.
This deserves my respect, and here and now , I openly give it..
It the same way and manner that I openly criticize, I always make my best attempts to give praise for decency, kindness, mercy and hope when truly shown about/to others.-Tyr