Tragedy and Natural Disaster as Motivators

While tragedy and natural disaster cause human suffering and pain, they also motivate ordinary human beings to respond with extraordinary courage, altruism, solidarity, and ingenuity. Tragedy, it seems, is often responsible for bringing out the best in human nature. One of the most obvious examples is the response following 911, where countless civilians, police officers, firefighters, and rescue workers acted with tremendous bravery, often at the expense of their own lives. In the face of disaster and distruction, strangers stood together in a show of solidarity, inspiring the motto "United We Stand". Americans responded similarly four years later during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Motivated and inspired by the call for help, volunteers from all over the country left their homes and headed for New Orleans to help rebuild the lives of their fellow Americans. Now, as 250,000 gallons of oil leak into the Gulf of Mexico every day, there is little doubt that Americans will respond as they always do: with support and humanity. Already, ordinary Americans have shown remarkable ingenuity in attempting to find solutions to the oil leak and cleanup.

BP Oil Spill Motivates Amerian Ingenuity: