Urban renewal

Kathmandu and Baltimore have something in common this morning.  Urban renewal will be needed in both places and likely it will be delayed and not come close to meeting the needs in either place.  The causes of the destruction are different, but the results are the same; displacement and hopelessness.  The scenes of death and destruction in Nepal are horrendous and invite our concern and excite our charitable impulses.  Not so much in Baltimore where media coverage has focused on the injuries to police trying to contain the rage which threatens to destroy parts of the city.  Some neighborhoods which were burned in the 60s have still not been rebuilt, so some of the anger can be understood in that context.  Whole generations have grown up in these blighted neighborhoods.   How can they burn down what little is left?   Walk a mile in their shoes and then answer the question.  The result in both cities will be the same.  The media will move on to the next disaster and the citizens of both areas will be left mostly to their own devices.   Until the next conflagration or earthquake.