(Originally published at Greater Democracy

I remember working with my wife on her first campaign speech. There was a bit of biography, talking about “neighborhood Easter egg hunts and the pickup games of whiffle ball that filled our summers”, “being proud to be from Bethany”, and “believing that a community sticks together and helps each other out”.

She went on to say, “September 11th happened, and then it seemed possible, for a brief moment, that we would come together as a nation and rally once more.” Today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we face the same possibility.

I have been reading the blogs, full of partisan recriminations. I have watched the news and seen the suffering of those displaced, compounded by the great poverty in the region. It makes me sad. Whether you are talking about looters, price gougers, or opportunistic politicians, it is sickening.

To me, the old speech by Joseph Welch still resounds in my ears, “Have you no sense of decency left?” Too many people have replace compassion with greed. Some people have suggested that the flood was God’s doing, a punishment for the immorality and depravity of New Orleans. I would like to suggest that like so much in life it is a combination of God’s doing and our own doing. God has allowed us to be overcome with our own greed and lack of compassion, and it is our greed and lack of compassion that has made this the disaster that it is.

Yet there is hope. Nancy White writes over on her blog, “But right now I'm much MORE happy to work with them in Katrina Community (re)Building. I don't give a &*^%$ if I disagree with their politics. I have my feelings about blame (they are strong and painful at the moment).

I'm angry. But that isn't where I want to put my energy right now.”

Since I’m working on John DeStefano’s campaign blog right now, I’m paying close attention to how different campaigns are approaching Katrina. We are spending our time trying to get people to contribute to relief efforts both nationally and locally.

Over at Deval Patrick’s campaign blog they write, “In the months since we embarked on this journey, part of our goal has been to reconnect citizens to civic life. We must learn to share not only in our own dreams, but also in our neighbor’s. A tragedy like Katrina requires us to live up to this spirit and requires us to act.”

Barbara Radnofsky who is running for U.S. Senate in Texas has a long list of entries on her campaign blog about relief efforts there.

So let us all find ways to work together, independent of political affiliation, to reconnect citizens with civic life and get people to show compassion through working locally and nationally to help those in need.