The New York Times on Sunday ran an interesting piece about a lesser-known group of victims "sideswiped" by the hurricane that ate New Orleans: people named Katrina.
These women and girls have to face the fact that they evoke images of horror, devastation, and loss each time they introduce themselves to a new acquaintance.
One 13-year-old Katrina has taken matters into her own hands, starting the school year by telling her classmates to call her "Kat" from now on.
And the Rush Limbaugh, himself a source of much high-velocity gusting, thought it was cute to refer to the storm as "Hurricane Katrina vanden Heuvel," in honor of the editor of The Nation. Classy as ever, Rush.
A few years ago I was acquainted with a fellow who told me, sheepishly, that his birthday was September 11. I think he knows something of how these Katrinas feel.
[Edited to add: This post got linked somewhere! Anyone know where?]
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