Hurricane Katrina

[zguitar71]

Ive seen those TV blurbs where you see some poor lost person saying, "Where's the food?? The water?? Why can't they get us out of here?? The government stinks!!"

GREED, GREED, GREED.

They are only thinking of themselves. true they have personal needs to remain healthy & survive, but obviously these uninfirmed people don't know how bad things are. I hope they receive the faith they need that help will come.

I hope you are not saying the stranded people in NO are being greedy. If you are you should realise they are surounded by people dying and already dead people. There are people being murdered infront of many other people. In the paper this morning a man told a story of him and a large group of other people watching a man get beaten to death by another man with a pipe. Another person reaccounted watching a woman being raped, that was right after he had been carjacked and shot at while he was on his way to try and get to his daughter who was being helied from a hospital to another one somewhere else because she has brain cancer. A person jumped off the Super Dome, other people have killed themselves incuding 2 NO police officers. On top of that they have no info on what is going on and no water and no food. The air is hot and humid and smells of decomposing bodies. It is very much hell on earth.

The only greed the stranded people have shown is the natural greed instilled in all of us called survival. The stranded know better than anyone else how bad things are. Fortunatly most of them are out of there now.

Mabey if there was a memorial service they would see the light and not be so greedy.

[george71z]

Everybody seems to have a 'Hollywood mentality' about this tragedy. The cavalry won't be there right after the commercial break, folks. This is REAL LIFE. It takes TIME to get the supplies and people organized and sent to the areas in need. If it was so hard for people to get out, what makes them think it will be any easier for someone to get in? They think because the talking heads are there, the aid should be too. Yes, errors were probably made, but to blame EVERYTHING on the Prez is asinine. Just shut up and help. Send money, take in a family, bring water or clothing to a shelter site; above all, give thanks it wasn't YOU; and make your own preparations for whatever natural disaster may strike your area.

[TomoHawk]

I wonder how many people are actually prepared for a disaster that could happen in their area- like tornado, or power/gas outage, snow blizzard, or whatever.

I also agree that it does take a lot of time to mount a domestic movement of the troops; they're mostly geared toward foreign movements, and with the amount of stuff involved, it will take a lot of time to gather it, deliver it to the general area, and then get it to the people who need it. Blaming anyone is totally out of order! The President has done his job correctly and to the best of his ability AS president. Remember we live in a beurocratic country.

FYI, the TV networks ( in my area at least) have all recommended that you do NOT go there to help. I agree. More people will only create more chaos. If you choose to give, give what you can to the appropriate organization(s) and they will deliver it to those in need. there will be a time to go later, when it's safe and appropriate.

[mlc240z]

one thing i notice is that all these people interviewed say they WITNESSED beatings and rapes, and then ask "where is the help and the police".

no tv available so i guess that's their entertainment? just stand there and watch?

why can't THEY do something, after all they're right there. 15,000 people in the superdome, at least half adults.

in a society, it's everybody's responsibility to respond, not just the 'government'.

[GunnerRob]

Everybody seems to have a 'Hollywood mentality' about this tragedy. The cavalry won't be there right after the commercial break, folks. This is REAL LIFE. It takes TIME to get the supplies and people organized and sent to the areas in need. If it was so hard for people to get out, what makes them think it will be any easier for someone to get in? They think because the talking heads are there, the aid should be too. Yes, errors were probably made, but to blame EVERYTHING on the Prez is asinine. Just shut up and help. Send money, take in a family, bring water or clothing to a shelter site; above all, give thanks it wasn't YOU; and make your own preparations for whatever natural disaster may strike your area.

George, I believe you've hit the nail on the head.

I wish you could send this to the "Hollywood" news and "disaster relief" shows who continue to pound the Prez as we speak. These influential people are so shortsighted that they can't see past their ratings.

[GunnerRob]

one thing i notice is that all these people interviewed say they WITNESSED beatings and rapes, and then ask "where is the help and the police".

no tv available so i guess that's their entertainment? just stand there and watch?

why can't THEY do something, after all they're right there. 15,000 people in the superdome, at least half adults.

in a society, it's everybody's responsibility to respond, not just the 'government'.

If I didn't know any better, I would think you were talking about neighborhood gang violence. The only difference is that the people in the dome actually SAY they saw these things happening. These things happen because the people around them ALLOW it to happen.

[TomoHawk]

The same thing happens in NYC probably every day. A crowd of people will stand by looking on as another gets robbed (or worse?) on the sidewalk, sometimes in broad daylight!

It's one time I would like to see some groups of vigilantes just patroling, but it also makes you wonder how many of those 'bad guys' are packing weapons.

[EScanlon]

No one gets involved at the time that their involvement is most critically needed. Yet, when the situation arises that something fails or doesn't work, then everyone is quick to blame everyone else for lack of involvement.

The lack of response in any one area of the country becomes apparent ONLY after a disaster happens. It is easy, in hind sight, to find the problems, develop a trouble-free solution and avoid exacerbating the situation. Yet for all our insightful dissection, we fail to apply that knowledge to prevent future problems.

We're all too smug in our beliefs that this kind of thing can only happen to OTHERS and not us. We fail to measure OUR safeguard measures against those that have already proven inadequate, for fear of having to get involved and make them better.

Before you start pointing the finger at inadequacies in OTHER parts of the country, ask yourself if YOU are doing the minimum YOUR community needs. Are you a Blood Donor? Have you taken C.E.R.T. training? Do you know the type of disaster that is most likely for your area? Is there an evacuation route? Where is the nearest shelter?

When disasters happen, it isn't by some form of malicious planning by anyone. Nor is the lack of, promptness of, or inadequacy of any kind of response.

Consider that it is logistically IMPOSSIBLE to provide the kind of instant response that some people would claim is the "least that we can do". The only way to provide "instant" response is to have foreseen the disaster.

How prepared are you to help YOURSELF?

Too many times you see the victims of a disaster, literally expect to be cared for as if they were newborns. That means that EACH victim expects SEVERAL people to be there to "rescue" just THEM ALONE! These are the true victims, they can't even help themselves.

Do you know the basics of helping yourself? Are you going to become another "victim" or can you help yourself?

2¢

Enrique

P.S. One note on the "fault" of our government officials. They're all inadequate. Neither "side" is willing to work towards a society that in fact believes in individual freedom, and a sound and efficient method of government. The politicos feel that you are entitled to those things....as long as it is THEIR interpretation of it. Neither camp wants to be saddled with the task of re-fitting or repairing the structure, yet both are quick to point the finger at the other when assigning blame. The reason they are SEPARATE parties is that they see things differently, or in a different perspective. That makes it a given that they will not be addressing the situation as the other side would have them address it. They don't see it the same way, so of course the response is inadequate in what each considers important.

[jmortensen]

The same thing happens in NYC probably every day. A crowd of people will stand by looking on as another gets robbed (or worse?) on the sidewalk, sometimes in broad daylight!

The technical name for this is "Kitty Genovese Syndrome" and it comes from an unfortunate woman in NYC (surprise) who was stabbed going from her car to her home, then the attacker left for a while, then he came back and raped her again and stabbed her to death. There were over 30 witnesses who heard her screaming for help, but nobody called the police.

I gotta go with Enrique on this one. There's only one person who's primary interest is YOU, and that's YOU. We all need to be responsible for ourselves, and waiting for the govt to do anything on your behalf is setting yourself up for disappointment.

[TomoHawk]

So if there had actually been enough forewarning which EVERYONE had heeded, and then made for the higher ground, then the only casualties would have been some cars/trucks, the buildings & their contents, and the face of the city.

And maybe just a few people who needed rescuing because they were the last to get out as the hurricane was moving in, Judging from how many people were moved by the buses, but those with cars or trucks should have been able to get themselves out, like the people in FL do. Those left could have easily been handled, and the citizens of New Orleans would all be safe with relatives, friends or where ever.

[1 Bravo 6]

George 71Z.

Where's the aid from our allies, you ask.

Make sure you get ALL the facts straight before you start throwing accusations around mate. Oz isn't anywhere near as rich as the U.S. but, while we're still spending millions in tsunami relief, (which, by the way, was more than most), we still stretched the coffers with a donation to the American Red Cross, and you can be damned sure that other countries are doing "their bit" as well.

Reading through the posts on this thread, one thing becomes blatantly apparent. Hindsight fixes everything. All the finger pointing in the world is not doing any damned good at all.

Get your priorities straight. Whether they're still in New Orleans or lucky enough to have been moved to Texas or elsewhere, the main point is that those poor buggers have lost EVERYTHING except the clothes on their backs and what they can carry.

Instead of all the bellyaching, why not do something constructive??. Such as

organising a neighbourhood collection of clothing, including hats and shoes and don't forget toys for the kids. Contact the Red Cross and find out what is needed.

Cut the crap.

Rick.

:devious: :devious:

[1972zed]

Its sad how the media is now taking sides on this. I just watch a Fox newscaster interview Jesse Jackson, but then turn the tables and attack local Democrat governors and mayors and Jesse himself and defending the president. But on the other channels (CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS) they are blaming the federal government. On Fox they were actually saying this whole mess is a blessing in disguise and that the city will be renewed and rebuilt by entropreneurs and be a better city. They interviewed the owner of the basketball franchise who said it is a good opportunity to bring the casinos inland. While CNN et al. focus on the human tragedy.

It really reinforces the left/right divide in America.