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I've spent two afternoons and evenings working as a volunteer with people from New Orleans taking refuge here in Houston. Let me tell you, there are a lot of heroes. And if your perception of New Orleans was altered by the reports of widespread looting, let me tell you that the small handful of people who did that are not representative of the spirit and attitude of the people I've met.

I'm not sure that I wouldn't break out the window of a locked grocery store if I had a couple of children who hadn't had a drink of water for three days, and hadn't had anything to eat since Tuesday afternoon. Sure, the fact that people are gone and the police are tied down was too much temptation for some people to overcome, but don't let those images spoil your perception of the vast majority of the people of New Orleans. A lot of them thought they were going to be dead by now, and many of them have seen friends and relatives die over the past week. All of them can name a loved one or family friend whose fate they do not know. Since the plumbing failed, they haven't even had a clean, private way to go to the bathroom. But most of them are optimistic about the future, anxious to get back and have the chance to rebuild their city, and they don't necessarily want to be waited on while they are here. Many of them are jumping in eagerly to help. The vast majority are rising to the occasion and want people to know that.

If Houston ever faces a disaster of this magnitude in the future, and the odds of that are inevitable, if I am still here, I think I might evacuate to New Orleans. I'm sure I would be well taken care of there.