nanandjim said:
Hello, there. :blowkiss: Did you read kgeaux's post stating that the Governor of Louisiana delayed giving the okay for help to enter the state? If memory serves me, President Bush approved help several days BEFORE the storm. If local government refuses to allow entry UNTIL it is almost too late, there's not much that can be done.
I also heard news reports of thugs shooting at the helicopters. I can well imagine that they couldn't get close enough to drop supplies.
IMO, there was little to no planning and little to no leadership in the State of Louisiana. From the little coverage that I have seen in Mississippi and Alabama (who had areas totally decimated by the hurricane), they are not having nearly the same problems as Louisiana. IMO, this is due to those particular states' good planning and leadership.
Yeah, I understand all of that and that's why it's so hard for me. I see both sides. I can't blame any one particular area of government or organization, because I think more could've and should've been done on ALL levels. It's easy to sit back and judge, and I try very hard not to do that - I just feel so sad and helpless and most people just want someone to blame. There will never be one specific person to blame, the blame lies (lays?) in many, many areas.
The local government for not accepting the help that was offered; the federal government for not accepting some of the offers from other countries for lower fuel and emergency personnel and supplies and planes, etc. and for not sending in Navy SEALS and SWAT teams to control the lawlessness; whatever political stuff went on behind closed doors as to why these levee's weren't reconstructed years ago when engineers said it could not withstand more than a Cat. 3 hurricane (all political money crap that I'll never understand); the few *degenerates who chose to not only hinder the rescue and relief efforts, but actually caused more damage, fear, panic and deaths. There's plenty of blame to go around.
Things were not organized or planned, and as you and others have stated, that part does boil down to the local government not having enough of an organized relief effort beforehand and a disaster recovery effort afterwards. SUPPOSEDLY buses were taken around to the poor districts and people were being asked to evacuate. Since I didn't see any photos of such efforts, or hear stories (yet) of people who were offered a way out BEFORE the damage was done, it's hard for me to believe that it was done
to the extent that it should've been done. There shouldve been tons of buses, with people on bullhorns and sirens. Maybe there were, I dont know yet.
While I've heard it mentioned that some who stayed behind did so because they refused to leave their ill or elderly loved ones behind - if this is true, then why didn't these supposed evacuation efforts
take the ill and elderly out themselves while there was still time? I will wait until I hear some stories from the people themselves, as to what really happened with the evacuation efforts beforehand.
For those who chose to stay behind because they wanted the chaos and knew they could take advantage of an abandoned city to rob and loot and rape and murder, they have none of my sympathy or compassion and I hope that someday theyll get theirs (karma).
As for those who chose to stay behind because they thought they could weather it out, had been through hurricanes before, didn't know the levee would break, etc... I cant help but still feel empathy for them, as no one could predict the levee breaking. They actually did weather the hurricane and couldve survived had it not been for the flooding. My heart goes out to all of them.
And we definitely cant forget those who simply
could not get out.
May God bless them all.
*Degenerate:
1. A depraved, corrupt, or vicious person.
2. A person lacking or having progressively lost normative biological or psychological characteristics.
Source:
Dictionary.com
