The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is known world wide. What I dont get is why is everyone blaming Bush and the government for delayed reaction? Yes its sad that relief efforts were not as immediate as some think they should be. But did the people living in these areas that were known to be lower than sea level think they would be safe forever? Why didnt I see anyone preparing for the Hurricane? Where were the droves of people filling sand bags and boarding up windows? Everyone knew the hurricane was coming. Were they just sitting around thinking they were immune to nature? Was it such a hopeless cause to try to barricade up the city or their homes?
And why all of a sudden do people there just sit and wait for help? Why arent they helping them selves? Helping each other? If my home was flooded and I was forced from my town, I dont think I would just be sitting around doing nothing, complaining and blaming the government for not doing something…
I am feel sad for everyone who lost their way of life there in Louisiana, but you cannot always just expect a handout becuase you are having problems. I am sure there are people there who are helping, and doing things… but this hope that someone is coming to rescue you? Not a hope that I would be thinking.
If where I lived became total chaos, I would not be thinking that someone is coming for me. I would be doing all I can to escape. I would not just sit around on my roof waiting. And another thing, when you are sitting around waiting for help, why would you shoot at other people? Why would you loot a bunch of wet flood damaged things? Why would your posessions take priority over someones life? Why would you shoot at the very people who are actually trying to help?
And I do not understand why Bush is apologizing for a delayed relief effort for that area. That just means that he really did do something wrong. It is not official that he conciously did not act sooner. Prior to an apology, it was just speculation and public opinion. But now, he says that he takes the blame… not a good move.
I also wonder what happens to the people who were very poor. Who couldnt afford flood insurance, let alone any other type of insurance. Are they covered by some sort of emergency federal aid? Are their homes going to be replaced? What about the people who had flood insurance? Do their homes get replaced just like the people who had no insurance? Is that fair? Should people who do not plan for accidents get the same aid as those who did plan for accidents?
It seems to me that there is a mass effort to try and blame people for a natural disaster. It was nature that caused the damage, not Bush, not the government, not the looters, not the poor, and not the engineers who originally built the water retaining structures that finally gave way. You cant build a vulnerable environment that only works under ideal conditions and expect it to last forever. Things happen. People overcome and adapt. By trying to point fingers and blame people and expect others to help you because you think you deserve help does not fix the situation.
I know times are hard there, but the best way to get through them is with a positive attitude and one that is compassionate for others around you. Greed and selfishness will get people no where except in a very negative and painful place.
I am sorry if I do not know the whole story, but that is what is on my mind right now.
the thought train just left, and i missed it
Hmm. I am having trouble collecting my thoughts due to the whining child at my side, but here goes part of it… The majority of those that didn’t evacuate before the hurricaine were the very poor (which NO was full of) who probably didn’t have any way to get out. These same people were probably already on some type of gov’t assistance (welfare, wic, low income housing, hud homes, whatever) so they were used to having handouts. I’m not saying ALL the people, just some. There was already HUGE amounts of crime in NO before the hurricaine. When you don’t have jobs and bills to pay and some semblance of “normal” living, then why would care if you’re stealing other peoples property? With chaos comes more chaos. Hasn’t NO been leading city for murders for some time now? Anyway, these poor people who get handouts already just to survive, all of a sudden find themselves without power, without food, without water, sitting in each others filth, with hopes of rescue flitting away. They already have poor regard for human life as is evident in the crime around the city, so now that there is chaos and little presence of authority figures (and nowhere to put the criminals anyway!) these bad seeds continue the life they know: Crime. They rape little girls and rob people for their jewelry, and steal food from the mouths of babies and shoot at the cops (who are trying to HELP PEOPLE!!!) and steal whatever they can from whoever they can and wherever they can. I will say if I was in a situation like that, I would loot too. I would go to walmart and get some food to feed my family. Desperate times call for desperate measures. However, I would not even be THINKING about raping people!!! How on earth can a person even think about sex during times like that? Well, maybe if you have a need to feel powerful in a bad situation, but how ridiculous is that? I don’t even know where I’m going with all this. I’ll post my comments to MOB from our IM…
the poor people were already on gov’t assistance programs, so they expected handouts to begin with
that’s why they were waiting around for someone to rescue them
they are an extrememly violent city to begin with too
and that’s on a good day!
corrupt law enforcement
just a jacked up place
already violent pepple and give them a crisis
but those kind of people live differently than we do
if you don’t get up in the morning and go to a job and don’t have to worry about paying your bills, and you live in swalor anyway, and your kids are having babies at 14 and you have 10 people living in your 3 room house, then sure enough you’re going to want to steal and loot and feel “powerful” instead of trying to save other people
i dunno, what do i know
i wasn’t there
but from a socialogical standpoint, it totally makes sense that there would be looting and crime and rape and whatever
if the same thing happened in a middle class neighborhood somewhere, then no, those things wouldn’t have happened, at least not to that degree
yes, exactly, it was already there
and the chaos brought more of it
: if people don’t have their basic needs met ie food clothing, shelter, and i mean adaquete stuff, then they’re going to be a bit disgruntled, and they’ll probably have an incredibly selfish attitude
the “i need to feed myself first” attitude
but, if people like us who’ve always had enough of everything were in that situation we’d be like “feed the babies and the infirm first, cause they need it more than i do”
Ha, there ya go. Maybe a bit hard to follow, but deal with it. Maybe more thought later, and maybe they’ll make a bit more sense. I know nothing about nothing, and that’s all I’ll claim.
Hmmm. I dont blame Bush either. Who of us could handle a storm that size? I think Katrina stripped any semblance of order and human nature was on show all over the place. I believe anybody would loot if it came down to survival. But! All the other things that happened, people taking victims in, providing money and shelter and food shows me just how good we can be in a disaster. When trouble comes do you loot or do you help? Your choice.
The reason people blame Bush for his delayed reactions:
1. The US has a flooding and crisis deaprtment specifically for this eventuality which was devoid of funding due to Iraq, plus all warnings leading up to a crisis such as Katrina were “risk managed”
2. The federal troops usually employed to deal with such events….were in Iraq.
3. Iraq
4. Some bloke called Bill got his shoes wet!
regards,
Hoolihoover
UT, you forgot a reason on your list.
5. Because of Iraq.
Leave a reply