Looking for hope in tragedies

The enormity of the catastrophe in Haiti has dominated news coverage in the past week, as captured here at Bradenton.com/Haiti, and the outpouring of donations and volunteers is almost overwhelming. The Bradenton Herald newsroom continues to compile a vetted list on how you can help -- and linking you to the countless stories of desperate searching and, sometimes, a miracle.

The tragedy is also pointing to the need to work together, as East Manatee Editor Jim Jones captured in his story today on clergy's sermons this morning across Manatee County. As so many have noted: Wouldn't the world be wonderful if that spirit existed without tragedy.

That theme was also prevalent in our local students' essays on Martin Luther King Jr. this year. As I noted in my column today, almost every student cast their insights and challenges around the shooting deaths of two classmates, Dejuan Williams and Jasmine Thompson.

The prayers at the MLK dinner Friday night, in church this morning, from rescue crews coming from throughout the world, all have one idealistic core: that some good comes from this cataclysmic tragedy, both in Haiti and here at home.

-- Joan