Katrina Aftermath - whatever happened to personal responsibility?

by EscapedLifer1 54 Replies latest social current

• 

  EscapedLifer1

  OK, all you "bleedin' hearts" get ready to flame me....

  I have been watching the developments in the devastated areas like everyone else, and something has begun to strike me. There seems to be tens of thousands of people who are just sitting around waiting for help to miraculously drop out of the sky, and the longer they sit idle, the madder they get that the government hasn't swooped in and immediately solved all their problems. I have a few questions about this mindset:

  1. FEMA has publicly and agressively advised people who live in areas prone to severe weather for decades to put together and keep a disaster kit (several days worth of water, canned food, batteries, medicine, first aid kit, etc.). Putting together a kit like this is not expensive, and can be obtained a little at a time over the course of weeks. All it takes is taking the responsibility to be prepared to take care of yourself and your family if/when disasters strike and public services are disrupted. So why are there gazillions of people who haven't had food or water since the storm struck? Is this the government's fault?

  I'm not talking here about the aged and sickly who need someone else to take care of them. I'm talking about all the 20-30-40 somethings sitting around "bitching". I personally would rather sit on my own roof with my survival kit for two weeks than to sit in a angry crowd of thousands of hungry/thirsty people.

  Why is everyone in the mindset that people's hardships in this disaster are all the government's fault?

  Ok, flame away!

  Brandon
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  Brandon, do you understand that many of those left in NOLA, that their houses and everything they own have been washed away? Why didn't they leave? Do you realize many of them did not have cars? Do you realize the only way out of New Orleans was on crowded highways and interstates mostly on bridges over water? These are poor people who just lost everything they own. Even the authorities from NOLA know people in NOLA are frightened, hungry, thirsty sick and dying. I hope no one ever says something like this to you when you prepared for a disaster, only to see it all washed away or underwater and possibly your family floating away with it. What goes around comes around. Show no empathy or compassion and you may not get it when you need it the most.
• 

  jillbedford

  You must be very young and naive to make comments like this. In a similar vein, why didn't many of us just leave the WTBS earlier than we did? We should hgave known better right?

  Many New Orleans residents have lived through hurricanes in the past and have emergancy kits but this one was much bigger and more destructive than in the past.

  All roads are closed. Walking to higher ground on foot is difficult if you are alone, but many have families in tow. People are being instructed by police and other authorites to stay where they are.

  Maybe instead of wasting time on foolish posts, you could open your wallet and make a contribution to the Red Cross. www.RedCross.org

  A very dear friend of mine, a very intelligent, young and healthy educated person, has not been seen in a week. Of course, I fear the worst. He did try to get out, he would have contacted me if he could. The last I heard he was on the road north.
• 

  LyinEyes

  I personally would rather sit on my own roof with my survival kit for two weeks than to sit in a angry crowd of thousands of hungry/thirsty people.

  I would have walked out of that damn Superdome two days ago........ I swear, kids and all and took my chances on the road out of there.

  I saw some interviewed who were doing just that,, walking the heck out of there. I might die on the way but at least I wouldnt be a sitting duck waiting to die.
• 

  EscapedLifer1

  FHN,

  I'm not talking about the people whose houses disintegrated around them and they barely made it alive to a tree or something, then walked to the designated shelters after the storm passed.

  I'm talking about the kinds of folks who were interviewed on FOX at the Houston Astrodome about an hour ago, who've been at the Superdome since before the storm hit (without bringing anything with them), and were whining about not having "a single hot meal" while they were there, only crackers and cold food, and OMG the only thing to drink was "water". WTF?

  I realize that there were literally thousands of people who did not have the resources themselves to leave NOLA. Their situation is a horrific tragedy, and I'm not talking about them, OK!

  Brandon
• 

  Honesty

  I realize that there were literally thousands of people who did not have the resources themselves to leave NOLA. Their situation is a horrific tragedy, and I'm not talking about them, OK!

  Those are the people in the Superdome.
• 

  EscapedLifer1

  jillbedford,

  Many New Orleans residents have lived through hurricanes in the past and have emergancy kits but this one was much bigger and more destructive than in the past.

  Yes, and the same goes for the local and federal government too, doesn't it. It was larger and more destructive than they imagined. So again, my point is, why are these folks blaming the government for not being prepared, when they themselves weren't?

  Maybe instead of wasting time on foolish posts, you could open your wallet and make a contribution to the Red Cross. www.RedCross.org

  Aren't you wasting your time on a foolish response to a foolish post?

  I am sorry to hear about your friend, but since communication is such an issue, hopefully he is OK, just unable to contact you.

  Brandon
• 

  Mulan

  I was just watching MSNBC and the woman anchor asked why these people are sitting around waiting for help. Why don't they start walking? It's a fair question. One of the reporters got out of town very easily. I would think they could start walking at least.
• 

  DevonMcBride

  Brandon,
  I think you are picking on the wrong people. While many of the people with cars did not heed the warnings, I think there would have been less of a problem had the state emergency management designed a better plan.

  For years there have been warnings that this would happen to New Orleans. State emergency management never had an effective evacuation plan. They knew that 1/4 of the population did not have a car and yet they never had a plan to get these people out. Nor did they have any shelters to house this population. The Superdome did not have food, water, cots, or any other necessities.

  Rather than blame the people for not taking responsibility, I think the blame goes to the local governments for being ill-prepared for a diseaster that was bound to happen.
• 

  G Money

  I do agree with the poster. Come on people! Its not a freakin earthquake thast comes all of the sudden as you get notice. I've been through a few hurricanes on a small island. We got prepared and many fled. We were ready and didn't leave due to the elevation of the home and the type of construction. We knew 4 DAYS in advance. The governor ordered many off the island and they left. Another one hit last year and there was only one fatality due to people leaving due to early notice and most news stations whilst broadcasting hurricane news, forget the small island nation. You can see the storms coming off the cape of Africa. The front of the phone book has a map with coordinates for tracking!
  
  We had time to stock up, but plywood, board up the house (it had over 10 bedrooms!) and be ready with cold drinks to watch the action. This was for a Cat 5 hurricane that devastated Central America.
  
  I think people stayed, many, not all because they were too naive / ignorant / or plain stupid and / or wanted to loot and they got screwed. Natural selection in action. Like the people in soddom and Gomorrah. When its gonna hit the fan and you stand there spankin it and don't do anything, whose fault is it?