Hurricane Katrina

[TomoHawk]

I'm still wondering why there hasn't been a memorial service for those that were lost so far. After the attack on the WTC, the bubmint so quick to have a memorial to show the people that "it cared."

So what's holding them up? It was so important to have the service right away in 2001, but it doesn't matter that there are people with low hopes today? Not only do they need food & water, but they need to know there's more than the gubmint to look to for hope & help.

thx

[jmortensen]

Maybe because they haven't finished DYING yet. 9/11 was done on 9/12. This is going to go on for at least a couple more days before they're done rescuing people. Then they get to go through and find all the bodies trapped in the attics of the city. Inappropriate doesn't begin to describe a memorial service in LA right now.

[TomoHawk]

The tragedy in New Orleans is done. Only the cleanup is part way through. There have obviously been many, many deaths already- they just don't have an idea on the number of deaths like they did for the WTC.

A memorial service for those lost is VERY appropriate at this point. So is one for the live people.

The cleanup of the WTC took a long time too, so why didn't they wait weeks for that memorial service? The others affected in New Orleans have the same need for hope. All they have now is a bus ride to the middle of Texas. It'll be weeks before the water gets down enough to go looking for bodies, and aid money, clothes, a bed, food & water isn't all that's important right now. Looking in the attics doesn't happen until the water level goes down, so they probably won't find many more bodies for a while.

So you think people should just wait weeks until the gubmint feels like things are settled?

[jmortensen]

Remember you asked what I think. Here it is: I think diverting money, resources, and manpower to a memorial service right now would be incredibly stupid and insensitive.

[seerex]

New Orleans is not done, and I think it far from it. I think a memorial service is the last things on these peoples minds. I also thing the big diffrence is that the WTC was an attack on us not a natural disaster, the feelings and emotions are both very strong but for diffrent reasons. I think memorial services show a sign of a turn from rescue stage to recovery and NO is not in that stage, they are looking for the basics. When andrew hit in fla the feeling was the same and no they weren't wanting a memorial service they wanted help. Sorry to sound cold but save the people you can and deal with the dead later, and yes there will be more of the living dying , those found and those not yet found. I pray the numbers are alot lower than what the projections were from FEMA's study that was done 3 years ago.

[TomoHawk]

Sure, that's your side of it.

I don't think the gubmint need to erect a giant monument or hire the Pope to do a memorial, but there should be one, and a little money to the right organization (like the EWTN Network, for one, or the mormons, et al.) could do it easily. The TV Networks could do it just as easily.

[seerex]

Are suggesting we use goverment or donated money to hire a religous based network or do one of that nature in a memorial type setting? You don't get it I see . Hey this isn't my SIDE of it , its the facts, feed, cloth and move them as nescessary to make things better for these people.

[TomoHawk]

So you want people to just hold in all the feelings of loss of friends & family for weeks or months until the city is dried out enough to go home and prepare a formal memorial service? I think that is insensitive.

I have a friend who used to live in South La, and we ( group of friends up here in OH) had a memorial for him. It helps rest the feelings you have since they can't bury the guy yet, if ever.

Yes, these people need food & clothes and a SAFE place to go, but you gotta worry about more than just the bodies. I'm sure the TV networks or religious organizations would be happy to do a memorial. And yes, a little government money could help that happen.

Most of the money is going through the churches and other organizations like Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. I'm sure these organizations offer DAILY prayer, worship and even memorial services.

[Zdreamer]

Outta here!

[TomoHawk]

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.

Not only the job they had, but the employer is gone, and the place where they used to work. Talk about losing local jobs....

I empathize with you & them, that this historical city, with its hundreds of years of history, is now basically gone. I think if they do get the city dried out & excavated from whatever mud will be left, that the only 'historic quarter' with be in history books.

But I'll hope for better to happen, of course.

[1972zed]

MikeW "I think that is out of line. It appears to me that the main group of people that the government is having to help are the "downtrodden". I can't imagine how you think voting is somehow tied to this.

Sorry Mike, I didn't mean to offend you or anyone else. From my perspective this may be the largest civil engineering cotastrophe of all time. Is it a natural disaster? partially, yes and mostly no. The levee system was inadequate and out of date. The government was warned this would eventually happen but chose to ignore the warnings. THe fact that thousands of relatively poor uneducated black folk live beneath sea level behind leaky walls with no means of escape appears somehow tied to government priorities. Government priorities are tied to votes. It appears the government had different priorities.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313

Votes determine where federal dollars are spent (Iraq or at home). and on most US news broadcasts this morning including Meet the Press, the question is already being floated "would the government's reaction (before and after the levee broke) had been the same if this took place in an affluent white neighborhood.

It will be interesting to watch over the next two years or so how all this unfolds.

Steve

[MikeZcar]

Do you think if the "Hamptons" had a similar disaster, the response time for aid would have still been a week? Well suuuure it would have been, lot's of mistakes along the way on this one, but don't worry "The buck never stops here" baby bush is sure to point the finger and roll some heads. Same old story, to me at least, no matter what happens the guy at the top has ultimate responsibilty, but not "Mr resolve".