nanandjim said:
The Red Cross Director explained that it was deemed too dangerous for their volunteers to enter until areas were under control. They do not want to put the lives of the Red Cross volunteers in danger. Unfortunately, I agree with the decision. A few thugs make it hard on everyone. So, IMO, the blame should be placed on the thugs and the Louisiana's local government for not having a plan.
Of course, by reading many of the posts on this forum, I understand that my viewpoint is in the minority.
Hi Nanandjim! :wavyguy: I see both sides to this (as I do to most things). Their safety should come first so I can understand if it was not safe to go into the areas where the people were with the stolen guns, etc. I also understand it if there were not enough guardsmen to protect them as they went through (which is obviously the case and I fault the government for that).
What I don't understand, however, is why our government couldn't do something ELSE then - such as dropping tarps and food and water and medical supplies from helicopters to the people stuck on the bridges and rooftops, etc.?? If they didn't feel safe enough to take vehicles in, then drop crates of supplies like they do to third-world countries so these people wouldn't have felt so desperate. They'd have known there WAS help coming, even though it would take time.
Did they have a helicopter going around with a bullhorn telling people that help was on the way, that they wouldnt just abandon them, that things had to be done in an orderly manner and they were trying to save the sick and elderly first, but that they would not be forgotten?
It just seems that more couldve been done. I know its easy to point fingers afterwards, but it didnt seem like anyone was in charge. Was it the Mayor? Homeland Security? FEMA? I mean, compared to 9/11 having Mayor Guilliani (sp??) it seems like there was just no control.
It is a shame that a few select @ssho!es took advantage of a disaster to loot, rape, murder and have shoot-outs. Couldnt we have gotten some Navy Seals or SWAT guys sent into the areas immediately where the looting and rapes were occurring, hiding in black in their little boats, with night-vision goggles and given an order to shoot anyone holding a weapon?
Before everyone screams at me about how some of those looters are innocent, panicked people just trying to survive, I suggest they just shoot them in the arm so they drop the weapon. Word would soon get out that this type of lawlessness wouldnt be tolerated, EVER. If they did come across people committing violent acts, they would have permission to shoot-to-kill, to rid society of those who enjoy taking advantage of others. Once it was safe, the Red Cross could go in and help even more. Why just keep the Red Cross out why not make it safe for the Red Cross to go in????
Last night, after hearing Shepard Smith & Geraldo (gag), I was so frustrated that I couldnt do more. I was in tears and asking DH if we could go around town, door to door, asking for extra diapers, bottled water, canned goods, clothes, toiletries, etc. I wanted to borrow our friends maxi-van, load it up, and drive to the bridges and outside the convention center myself. Im sure many of you WSers out there wouldve helped us along our way, some of you joining the effort as we traveled, growing in numbers until we arrived to help these devastated people. I guess I might take after my father a tad,
as he took a van-full of donated goods to the people in Honduras a few years back (1999 maybe?).
Anyway - I got so frustrated thinking how it would take us a few days to organize it (we don't have extra money so I was gonna ask my parents to donate gas money for us to go) and that by the time we drove there from Michigan, they would already have help. Well, then it hit me - the reason I didn't begin to organize such a thing the minute this tragedy occurred, is because I TRUSTED OUR GOVERNMENT to come to the rescue. One of the reporters on tv (on in the background, I don't know who it was) quoted something that JFK once said and it really hit me:
Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
If I'd have known that it would take our government that long to help these people, and if I were "somebody" - I'd have called Donald Trump, Bill Gates, John Travolta, etc, and borrowed their jets.... I'd have asked Evian to give me some crates of water.... I'd have gone to all the camping stores and begged for tarps and rope and camping supplies.... I'd have called Levi Strauss and Calvin Klein and gotten boxes and boxes of new clothes.... I'd have gone to Band-Aid and Curad and gotten bandages, gauze, peroxide, etc..... I'd have gone to Pfizer and other drug companies and gotten prescription medications of all kinds.... Id have gone to all of the Wal-Marts and gotten OTC medicines and Gatorades. Then I'd fly those celebrity planes, filled with the essentials, and gotten as close to the area as possible. From there I'd have taken groups of people in vans, buses and motor-homes, pulling people's boats and jet-ski's and we would've helped these people ourselves. If I were somebody, I couldve paid people in Alabama and Texas for the use of their boats and jet-skis and vans, and other people with as much compassion wouldve gladly joined the efforts. If I were somebody.
To end this rambling post, I told DH last night that if another huge hurricane hits anywhere, we should organize our little van-effort immediately, instead of waiting for the government to help the people. The PEOPLE need to help the PEOPLE and I AM SOMEBODY!!!
Sorry for rambling, this is just such a frustrating thing to sit back and watch and I feel so helpless and then that makes me angry. Thanks for listening.
