Reflections on the Hurricane Katrina Disaster

[Stephs]

why didn't Bush accept foreign aid? Probably wanted to show the world that the good ole US of A doesn't need help from anybody and can take care of its own. And at what cost? I wonder how the ones responsible can sleep at night? It's my guess that they don't have a conscious.

The US of A looks all mighty and powerful when they're helping foreign countries at the drop of a hat. Looks good now, doesn't it? Now the whole world can see how the good ole US of A takes care of its own. This government should be ashamed.

[edgmondl]

The emergency plan NO had in place (sent to the federal govt for approval) listed several non-govt agencies as having roles and duties during an evacuation or emergency. Some of these agencies had no knowledge of the document or their supposed roles and duties.

Bush broke federal law by approving actions before the governor of LA requested it. He had asked the governor and NO mayor friday and saturday to please request help but they turned him down.

this is america and as such the president cannot order troops into a state unless the governor requests aid. too slow to ask - wanting to be the heroes? - pride over people.

the state department is handling aid offers as quickly as they can. most of the offers went to the wrong people- the media- and not to the offices that can coordinate such things.

pray, give, and lend a hand for the evacuees and for those who have lost so much.

[crazymomof3]

I am going to share something with everyone right now that might put everything that we're feeling right now into a little bit of perspective for all of us. There has been a lot of heated debates and harsh feelings over the lack of action by all levels of the government and I respect you all for the fact that this seems to have put a strain on everyones feelings.

The pictures that you see on the news are heartbreaking and disturbing, and unfortunaely they are out there.

The only thing that I can feel right now is proud that 1) I am a member of this great country, and 2) that i realized when my 6 year old son came up to me with his bank and told me to give it to the 'sad children' that everyone is feeling this on different levels as well. Mark III, you are feeling that your president is under attack. Aggiegurl it seems that you are feeling that your right to express yourself is under attack, and to a lot of the others you feel lost in the shuffle.

But the one thing that I have noticed is that, all in all, everyone has felt a sense of betrayal that nothing more has been done to help. It has all come down to money or lack thereof. We wonder silently to ourselves what will happen if we are the next to suffer some great catastrophe. Will we be as abandoned as the NOLA residents seem to have been by our elected officials.

I am sorry if I offend anyone with my statements but the only thing I can think of right now, is the face of a 6 year old that just wants to help.

[MarkII]

Originally Posted by aggiegurl99

You have obviously missed something or there is a circuit not connecting somewhere.

Just because I do not support President Bush, I respect the fact that he holds the office and I do NOT hate him. To be a self-proclaimed Chrisitan, you sure do have a lot of hate for a lot of people.

Freedom of speech is abused by folks like you. If you have paid attention to anything that I have posted, you would have read that I feel that there is blamed to be place on ALL levels of government. Unless you feel that Bush IS all levels of government, there's the possibility that you only agree with people who agree with everything that you say exactly how you say it.

We have both jumped off of the topic of this forum. It is not about Bush, it is about people who need help. But then again, maybe you are on the correct forum.

Who I am "in bed" with is my own business. I came from a town, run by Conservatives where private schools were not available. I came from a town where there are still restrooms labeled "colored". My hometown is still segregated, you had better believe it. And the Right Wing has publically admitted that that is the way they want it and that they will do what they have to in order for it to stay that way.

In the face of all of this, I still believe that we live in a great country. We do not always make the best decisions, but at least we have that option here. (Are you paying attention to this?) I must say, from what I have observed since I came of voting age, is that at least the Left-Wing, Communist-Loving Liberals can and will admit when they are wrong.

I proudly attended Texas A&M University (an EXTREMELY conservative campus), the FIRST public, land-grant college in the state of Texas, and every moment of it was wonderful! I was educated in public schools, funded by the American people of my community, and I'm damned proud of it!

It was in those public schools that I learned to think for myself. That I learned what leadership, values and integrity are about. Did you go to private schools where these concepts were not taught?

You seem to be one of those people who feel that only a certain "class" of people deserve to be educated. This is neither an American nor a Christian value. God bless us ALL!! Believers and non-belivers...because we all need His help, including "Dubbya".

Open your mind, even if just a bit. I promise your brain will not fall out.

No, AGGIE, Free Speech is ABUSED by people like YOU on the Extreme Radical Far Left. Your attempt to smear me about private schools betrays your Radical Marxist-Socialist bias. First off, Private Schools (which you apparently HATE like you do Geo. W) teach a whole h#@l of a lot more about duty, honesty, honor and morality than ANY Public School. In fact, from what I've seen lately honesty and morality are subjects that are anathama to the Government Controlled "Public Schools." As a matter of fact, I too am a product of "Public Schools" and a Public University. and have taught in the "Public" Schools, so I know first-hand how they have betrayed their charges in the most contemptible and outrageous manner. But back to the REAL topic of this question.

Right now the news is breaking that all of what happened after the wind and water went away reveals that the Mayor refused to allow the Red Cross, who had literally tons of supplies ready and in trucks, to enter NO to help the people at the Superdome. HE, not George W. Bush is to BLAME. Little-by-little the duplicity of him, the Governor and Senator Landreau will come out. Another recently revealed fact; it was NOT the levees that broke, they in fact held. It was a dike between the lake and the city that burst. No matter how much BS you puke out, the TRUTH will out and the world will know the corruption and depravity of the Socialist-Democrat party.

But you radical leftists cannot accept the truth even when it jumps up and slaps you in the face. Go back to MoveOn.org and other Hate-monger Forums and leave us alone. Eat your hear out, Babe, your diseased, has-been Party is going down, drowned by their own putrid, vile misdeeds.

Mark II

[aggiegurl99]

MarkII, seriously, calm down.

I do not hate private schools, nor do I hate Pres. Bush. I do not agree with his politics and I do not agree with you. This is America, and I have that right. I am from a community that is extremely conservative and did not allow private schools. I have nothing against them at all, nothing against you and nothing against the president. I am simply making observations. It is my right. If it bothers you, you have a choice as to whether or not you are going to read and respond.

If you had paid attention (which is obvious that you haven't) you would notice that I have stated that I do not align with any one political party. Both parties have some good ideas and some bad. You seem to be too busy doing exactly what the media that you hate so much is doing: focusing on one thing, distorting it, and then presenting it as fact.

I am not an extreme radical far left, as you put it. And even if I am, it is my choice. You have chosen to be blind and deaf to the fact that all people, you, the president, and the victims of hurricane Katrina, are all deserving of their proper respect due as human beings. Whether they agree with the president or not. No one person should be elevated above any other.

You know absolutely NOTHING about me, so I will tell you this. I was reared in a Christian community and in a Christian household. I was taught that hate is evil. I was taught that Jesus saves ALL who come to Him (do you think that this is BS?). I may not agree with, nor may I like George W. Bush, heck, I may not agree with or like YOU, but I respect the fact that you are both human beings and therefore, I have chosen NOT to hate.

I have never visited moveon.org, or whatever site you keep referencing, nor have I visited any hate-monger forums (until this one). I have just as much of a right to be here as you do. If you don't like it, eat YOUR heart out and leave us alone. You have that choice.

My God bless you and allow the Holy Spirit to move through your soul and heal whatever wounds have caused you to have so much hate inside. This world is difficult enough without people like you turning on their own countrymen. Just ask the people of New Orleans.

[debrose]

WOW....

This is a subject that is very personal for me. I had the great pleasure to spend 7 months last winter working in Louisiana and Mississippi. My son and I fell in love with the area, and he was to relocate to the Baton Rouge area until my company lost its contract.

My first trip to the area was cut short as we were evacuated for Ivan the Terrible. I remember at the time, the media reported that if a CAT 4 were to hit New Orleans directly, the estimated dead would be in the HUNDREDS of thousands, primarily because they expected people just WOULDN'T leave. With Katrina, there were cases of people who just would not leave their homes. My daughter has a friend whose family is from Metarie, LA. Her grandfather was one of those "If I'm going to die, I'm going to die at home." After the storm, he was rescued and evacuated to Houston.

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from my cousin in Ocean Springs, MS (just east of Biloxi). They have sold out and are returning to Central TN. They were very lucky - their home stood at 24 feet, and the surge was 20 feet. There was slight damage to the house, primarily from limbs falling from the beautiful trees surrounding it. However, her mother is in her 80's, in poor health, and the 3 evacuations this summer have taken their toll.

Was the preparation enough? It's great to have a plan. However, it must be taken into account that the city of New Orleans has a high rate of poverty, and some of these people did not have the means to evacuate on their own. All of the social and political debate in the world will not change the fact that poverty exists, and in times of disaster, they do need help.

Should criminal charges be filed against the government (local, state federal) or the representatives of its agencies? To what good? A natural distaster is an act that is created by forces greater than any human can understand. Have any of you ever been driving in the desert, and seen a sudden "dustdevil" blow up - without a breath of air in the moment before?

I am very disappointed in the reactions of ALL government agencies. The blame game in politics is as old as this world we live in. "I'm an elected official, and it can't possibly be my fault." And, while Mayor Nagin is ambitious in his "We will rebuild" plan, and his cheerleading to the community is commendable, he will never appear on the same pages of the history books as former NYC Mayor Guiliani.

On a bright ending note, I already have my reservations at the same Baton Rouge hotel I lived in for most of 7 months for mid-February of 2006. I will be visiting the beauty and history of New Orleans, enjoying the food and "Les Bon Temps Rouler" that make this city one of our country's crown jewels.

[cjpaamul]

It is a shame that any disaster leads to finger pointing. If any should be done, it should be by the citizens of the New Orleans area against those in local government who misused funds that should have rebuilt the levy's years ago. It is not the federal government's fault. Mother Nature cannot be controlled or totally forecasted.

[im4michigan]

How about the fact that if you choose to live in an area of the country that is subject to violent weather (wether that be blizzards in the Rocky Mountains, hurricanes along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, earthquake possiblities on the Pacific coast) you, as a citizen of that area, have an obligation to get a supply/relief kit together and be ready to go at a moments notice. Now, before somebody flies off the handle at that, I live along the Gulf coast and adhere strictly to the hurricane supply kits as recommended by state/local/fed disaster teams and have weather 6 hurricanes in the past 2 seasons. My family is ready to be mobile in under 1 hour and our supply kit is refreshed each spring - as recommended every year by the local news teams. It is MY responsibility FIRST - and when they say to get out of town - WE LEAVE.

I am not stupid enough to IGNORE A MANDATORY evac order and not have food/water/supplies and THEN WAIT AROUND FOR HELP THAT CANNOT ARRIVE IN TIME. And then let us not forget who failed first in the city who has cried the loudest - New Orleans. Lots of folks CHOOSE to ignore evac orders, did not prepare, and then SHOT AT THOSE WHO CAME TO HELP!

Yes, FEMA failed them, as did their local governments. They failed themselves first.

Evac orders are not issued because local governements can't think of any other way to entertain themselves. If you don't like the way your local governent is handling things, then vote them out of their jobs.

[indiana anna]

Everyone failed the Katina victims, except the American people who were so generous with their monies and aid. People here and abroad donated so much money you have to know that, but where is it, and what have they done with it? What has the Red Cross done with all they received and how much did they receive that was earmarked to go to Katrina hurricane victims?
Fema to this day is running around getting services from people and not paying for them, any work you see done over the t.v. is done by churches and just regular folks helping out, where is the dollars that people meant to go to help these unfortunates? Iraq? Fema directors? Promised big bucks to contractors who will not do what they are paid for? Total disgust what is happening in our country. One lesson learned "Do not count on anyone of government to help if we are in trouble!" What do we really need them for?

[Kitchen Witch]

Unfortunately - The American Red Cross is "stock-piling" the money for other worldly disasters that may happen in the future. Even though the Americans donated money for the KATRINA VICTIMS!!!!

It's time for our insurance companies to be held responsible for how people are forced to live. The insurance companies are the biggest contributors to the political parties and the hundreds of millions that they "donate" for our politicians to look the other way and let them (the insurance companies) get away with anything they want. It doesn't matter if the insurance carrier specializes in home/auto/worker's compensation - they are all the same. They spend more money NOT paying what they should. And they get away with it.

Everyone has taken note of what has happened with Katrina. But they have forgotten about those poor people in Florida (for example) who were hit with hurricanes - one after the other - before Katrina hit. Many of them still do not have housing and some are still living out of their vehicles waiting for help.

Millions of dollars went to illegal contractors that took off with the money. There has been price gouging and absolutely ridiculous prices put on services for these people.

The more money that is collected - the more money gets pushed around - the more money gets pocketed and is "forgotten".

FEMA is not capable of helping anyone properly - WALMART got through immediately - FEMA could take lessons from Walmart.

Our government officials are only interested in lining their own pockets - that is why people are suffering from not only Katrina and other disasters, but medical as well. Seems like they only care about themselves.

And this is America?????

[Shadows]

I see folks blaming the Government, FEMA, the Red Cross, everyone but themselves... where were these folks emergency supplies that the "government" and Red Cross , etc. said should be held by all familys, etc. after the 9/11 incident?
I see folks screeming for assistence that were on assistence before this disaster and want more from the government... in case you don't know that all comes from us ( the supposed government ) in the form of taxes.

Yes the Bush administraition dropped the ball on this one, but it is high time we all started to look out for our own and ourselves... the GOV ain't gonna do it!

My opinion and my opinion only!

[Kitchen Witch]

As a homeowner who has been paying homeowner's insurance for many years - and never placing a claim for anything - I feel that the insurance companies should be held responsible for owning up to their end of the contract!

With all the insurance I have on my home - I would want my insurance company to pay what I was entitled to should something happen.

The insurance companies are finding more illegal "loopholes" and they are playing in the "gray" area not to pay on these claims. Without that money - many cannot re-build their homes and their lives. This is money they invested in insurance and they trusted these insurance companies.

That is where the government should step in and do something.

Free handouts I don't believe in. But I do believe in helping others - that is the way I was raised. When disasters happen - regardless of how big or small and the number of people effected - I feel that we should help one another. It doesn't mean we have to support a disaster victim for the rest of their life - but to help them try to get their life back together as best they could after what has happened. Wouldn't you give a homeless person a warm coat or a hot meal?? Wouldn't you donate blood for someone who needs it?? Wouldn't you give an orphaned or abandoned child a home, clothes, food and love?? Maybe I am an old softie - but I have helped many and I know that in this lifetime I am not done helping others.

My big beef is with the insurance companies and the games they play. Insurance companies are running our lives. Insurance companies decide on our medical, presecriptions, length of time for hospital stays, etc. They decide how much they will pay for anything regarding homes and automobiles. They do NOT want to pay any money out for any reason - they just want to keep collecting!

That is why I state that our government should step in and do something. Our government officials may not be the brightest crayons in the box - they screw up too - but they should at least try to stay on top of things.

How much longer are those in Florida going to have to wait for insurance money?? And they were slammed with hurricanes before Katrina even hit. They have been forgotten.

I'm just an ol'mush who does not like what the insurance companies are getting away with.

[gayla50]

there was alot of blame to go around goverment knew the storm was coming, they did nothing then the federal goverment failed... But has any one thought about the fact hurricane season starts in what 3 months and they think its going to be a bad season again ....

[Aline]

Regarding the Florida hurricanes. It's like my American cousin who lives in Fort Lauderdale says... "It's the price you pay for living in Paradise." ...wearing shorts all year round!

And we Canadians here in Northern Ontario... when we have a snow storm, accummulating 4 feet of snow in a few days, at least we know where our house is!!! LOL However, if you don't clean the snow off your roof and decks, depending on their strength, they'll collapse!

But...I think that I would rather live with the cold and snow storms instead of the very high howling winds. I hate the winds! In 1972 we had a tornado hit our city and it caused quite a bit of damage. Luckily, that's the last time one has hit. I couldn't imagine living somewhere where it happens yearly!

So....guess I'll make my own little paradise here in the bush where we have to deal with bears, wolves, foxes, moose, and skunks! LOL You never know what you'll wake up to in your backyard.

[Kitchen Witch]

Aline -

I totally agree with you. We survived the Blizzard of '77, the ice storm of '78 and Blizzard 2000 where we had 14 feet of snow fall in a day or two.

Back in the 80's - we had so much snow fall that my house was totally buried, along with my 6-foot fence and the tree in front of my house. Due to the position of the side and front door on the house and with the ice - I could not open my doors. Snow had totally buried my house. It was quite an eerie feeling being stuck in the house and the doors and windows covered with snow.

It took 3 plows to dig out my home! They found me when one of them
drove into the tree in front of the house. Then they had to chisel the ice from the doors so I could get out.

But I would rather have this than go through hurricanes and tornadoes!
I would much rather watch them loading tons of snow in dump trucks and cart it away than go through what those poor folks do in the south!

[Henny]

You sentiments are well put, but you cannot know how terrible this hurricane has left this area. I live on the cosat where this happened, we were fortunate that our damage was minimal ,needed new roof =, tree removed from house, etc. just down the street from us people had water in their homes. I could go on but I think you will get the picture.

[ciscozoom]

I live in Hillsborough County Florida and have been through several minor hurricane hits and quite a few close calls. The bottom line to all these political meltdowns is that Bush is a moron. George Dubya and his useless brother, Governor of our lovely Sunshine State, Jeb Bush (should have known by his dumbass name) have done nothing to help the situation whilst it happened and are still dragging their feet dealing with the resulting issues, including what i like to call "Citizens Insurance Rape".

For God's sake, the man can't even speak in complete sentences when representing our once great nation to foreign dignitaries.

…end of before i get too depressed.

I apologise for the mini-rant but i felt the need to vent.


carry on…

[LittleThunder]

The Katrina thing was poorly, poorly handled. I lived in Covington at the time, a suburb of New Orleans, and was luckily far enough away from the storm to not feel it's strongest weather.

It took 4 days to respond, which is terrible, FEMA came, I think, 2 weeks later, which is also unacceptable. The Red Cross was NOT giving food to civil service workers. Attempts to even clean up the damage was scarce, there's places now that look like the storm happened yesterday.

If the government was looking for a good way to turn half the nation against it, it's plan didn't fail. I know I'm not going to rely on them for anything ever again.

[pmuhlhan]

LittleThunder,

One of my employees has family in Slidell. When the storm hit, he rented the largest vehicle available to travel from Florida to Louisiana to find his mom, dad, stepparents, siblings, etc. Listening to the media and government didn't even come close to the tales that he came back with. He was very brave to take the chances he did.

His mother is writing a book about Katrina and where New Orleans is (isn't) today. She is living in Florida now but goes back to Louisiana almost weekly to talk with people. She is a straight shooter and and says it like it is. She is not doing this for money, she is doing it out of respect for all those who have lost and continue to lose without assistance from the so-called governments and support groups in our country. It should be an interesting read when finished.

Take care,

Paula