Can I ask a favor? Can you check in with someone who may not have AC today?
In the NYC area in the next three days were are going to have very hot temps and on Sunday it is forecast to be 99 without the heat index. Temps over 95 are life-threatening, so in a real way, hot weather is more deadly than many other kinds of natural disasters. With the humidity that exists in NYC, this is not a great combination for millions of people who may not have AC.
I grew up in a desert so I have some tolerance to the heat. Still, as you get older the ability to stay cool decreases and people on medication have less tolerance for heat as well. I have checked with my circle of people and they seem to be prepared for it. I have one friend who only has one very old AC unit that is built into the wall of her apartment. I offered to buy her a new AC but she feels confident that this old thing can keep up. I don’t feel so confident about an old AC unit. I had a new AC unit fail after one summer, so that is why I think they are unreliable.
Part of being part of society is looking out and helping those who need help. Yes, there are social programs, but no social program fills all the gaps of the basic needs of people. When I was young my grandmother depended on the financial support of her family since the social security wasn’t enough. She lived in a rural and cheap area. I can’t even imagine if she had lived in a big city. She would have been forced to live with her relatives in that case.
We cannot ignore the needs of people. When we do we deny any right we have to argue that we are pro-life. Being pro-life means helping people at every stage, regardless of your own philosophical or religious beliefs. You can act however you want, but failing to act with love makes the world demonstratively worse.