President Bush, indeed all of our elected officials, have been an utter disgrace in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The levee break took them by surprise, sure, but that is no excuse for the pathetic efforts to get people out of the flooded areas. I have no doubt that in the next few days FEMA, the military, and volunteers will work so fast it will be mind-boggling.
But it is too late for far too many people. What if terrorists had blown up the levees on Monday, with no warning? Aren't we supposed to have fast response teams ready to go at a moments notice? I'm all about taking the war to the terrorists, but it is the job of FEMA and other groups in the government to make sure that plans are in place for this type of catastrophe. Especially in this case, which everyone knew was bound to happen one day.
For crying out loud, if reporters can use small boats to get to people, rescuers have to do the same. Why the hell are they wasting time and resources using helicopters to pull one person out at a time? Are there no boats in the Southeastern United States?
The most disgusting part of it is that the American people are ready and willing to go help. Tens of thousands of citizens with boats who could be rescuing people are sitting on their butts all along the Gulf Coast, and tens of thousands of willing Americans who could be clearing debris so that the professionals can get to where they need to go are fuming in their homes in places like northern Virginia. All because we get idiotic warnings not to go help because we might get in the way or get hurt. I know I'm just spitballing here, but shouldn't planners for FEMA, oh, I don't know, plan for how to use volunteers in cases like this?
President Bush has no excuse on this one, and the pathetic group of partisan hacks in Congress are useless, too. It is typical of our leaders in this war--they are so damn busy coddling the American people that they won't let us actually help. Test us, for the love of God. Find out what we can do in the face of adversity. Let us rise to the challenge. Lead.
Disgraceful. There is no other word for it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I agree, Tom.
I agree that the relief moved way to slow. What I really don't understand is how does a city that has hurricane's yearly, is on the coast and BELOW SEA LEVEL, not have some sort of emergency plan set up? I don't get it.
-Marine II
Tom,
Well said. This could be America's Dunkirk (in an evacuation sense, not as a strict historical parallel, obviously), but for that to happen the administration has to stop expecting so little of the larger citizenry.
Shameful.
Amen.
One can ask why New Orleans is situated where it is (hint -- mouth of Mississippi River coupled with the time when it was settled might give some answers) but that isn't going to change the fact that it is, and is not going anywhere, and that levees could have, would have, made a huge difference.
Agreed. But is it a federal issue or a local/state issue? Shouldn't those that live in or around New Orleans or Louisianna be responsible, or at least more responsible, for making sure they have the proper levees, etc? When the levees along the Mississippi River broke in 94(?) we didn't blame the administration for not making them bigger, tougher, stronger.
Also, Tom, I agree that they should allow more people in to help. The problem is managing it. It would be great for residents of nearby areas to get boats out and pick people up, etc. The problem is where do they put them? They are having enough problems finding room for the people that did evacuate. Also, I am not blaming anyone for not evacuating. Many that didn't either weren't able to, or thought they could ride it out as they have for many years past.
-Marine II
The 1993 floods were so much more widespread (they occurred along hundreds of miles of the Mississippi, Missouri and their tributary rivers) there is no similarity to that flooding and the criminal disgrace that has occurred in New Orleans. Since the levees, the river, and Lake Ponchetrain are all under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers this is a federal problem and the responsibility rests on the federal government.
I am in Texarkana right now, easily 7 to 8 hours drive from South Louisiana. There is no shortage of opportunities for us to help and no shortage of refugees in our town. The newspaper puts the numbers between 700 and 1000, but it must be much higher. I know families whose yards are full of travel trailers and of one woman who has 15 displaced family members in her home. I see some of the lucky ones every night at work.
The response has truely been incredible. High schools are collecting money, people are opening thier homes, and there has been free food from several restaruants for victims since this started.
I too am angry with how ill prepared everyone has been. It is difficult to imagine that with all our infastructure and military capabilites, something could not have been done more quickly.
--Meredith
Post a Comment