I don't actually have anything to add to this. But - isn't there anyplace in your life that you love this dearly?
gently feral
Do You Know What It Means to Lose New Orleans? - Why they didn't leave
by GentlyFeral 21 Replies latest jw friends
-
-
Cygnus
It's shameful, I read B.B. King's biography... so much lost. Today he still has friends and family missing.
-
TonyT
There are some good points in the article. Yes the feds were inexcusibbly slow in their disaster response however competent local planning and execution have saved lives and eased suffering.
The fleet of school busses, rather than being left in a flood zone, could have evacuated hundreds of people.
A truckload of food and water could have been taken to the superdome before the storm hit.
Sanitation planning could have been a small consideration.
Generators?
This event was not unforseeable why did the local government fail to take action?
-
DevonMcBride
This event was not unforseeable why did the local government fail to take action?
Good point. This is what I keep asking. For years there have been threats of hurricanes hitting New Orleans and yet the local government was not prepared for such an event.
-
Sara Annie
Yes the feds were inexcusibbly slow in their disaster response ;however competent local planning and execution have saved lives and eased suffering.
The fleet of school busses, rather than being left in a flood zone, could have evacuated hundreds of ;people.
A truckload of food and water could have been taken to the superdome before the storm hit.
Sanitation planning could have been a small consideration.
All excellent points--the very first 'failure' in New Orleans was that of the local government. It does seem that their entire disaster plan in a nutshell was "1. Herd everyone into big places with absolutely no provisions or plan for caring for them. 2. Scream really loud for faster federal asisstance. 3. When someone suggests that you just migh be a little responsible for the present situation, put your fingers in your ears and scream louder. 4. When federal aid DOES arrive (and at about the time it would have if anyone else had been doing their job) just keep talking about how late it was."
The ineptitude of the local plannners coupled with the inaction of the state government were the dominoes that kicked off all the other governmental failures in the New Orelans evacuation "plan".
-
FlyingHighNow
Sara, I hope that if you should end up in dire straights, people have more empathy for you. I'm sure if that happens, you will hope so, too. Why be so annoyed with suffering people? I'm just puzzled by attitudes like this. I think this is the crux of the problem after the levees broke. A lack of empathy. A lack of, "What if that were me or my family suffering like that" thinking. And spare me the, "I'd be walking out of there." I'd like to see how well any of us would do if we'd been days without water or food.
-
Sara Annie
Sara, I hope that if you should end up in dire straights, people have more empathy for you. I'm sure if that happens, you will hope so, too. Why be so annoyed with suffering people?
I'm not annoyed in the least with the suffering of people--quite the contrary. I'm horrified by it, my family and I are giving all the cash and provisions we can at this point, my husband will be very soon be out on the gulf coast (likely for two to five months) helping to do the work to assess and rebuild the area. On a personal level, I am actively involved in work that has a direct, immediate impact on the financial situations of people in my community every day. I have as much sympathy as anyone for the plight of those who are suffering, and don't appreciate the implication that I don't. (edited to add: If you read my comments in the post you're responding to, you will notice that my frustration is with the governmental officials involved, not the poor people who are suffering due to their actions--or lack thereof)
I am not annoyed at the suffering of people, I am annoyed at the widespread perception that it is all the federal government's fault. I didn't vote for Bush, I think he's a smug bastard most of the time, but very few people seem to want to disseminate any of the responsibility for this disaster below the federal level, and that frustrates me. I simply believe that nothing meaningful ever gets done in this world until people give credt--and criticism--where it is actually due.
-
ColdRedRain
"This event was not unforseeable why did the local government fail to take action?"
Because they were busy skimming money that was supposed to be used to fix the floodwall, silly!
-
FlyingHighNow
I have as much sympathy as anyone for the plight of those who are suffering, and don't appreciate the implication that I don't. (edited to add: If you read my comments in the post you're responding to, you will notice that my frustration is with the governmental officials involved, not the poor people who are suffering due to their actions--or lack thereof)
I'm glad thatyou didn't vote for Bush. I didn't either. I mentioned empathy. Empathy is not the same as sympathy. I've read a lot of your comments on this Katrina/NOLA situation. You may not realize that your irrititation with the victims circumstances, though subtle, shows up in most of them. I am very frustrated by the smugness of others, not you, on what they would do in this situation. The only thing really that any of us could have done is have chosen not to live on the coast. But almost anywhere you live there are threats of tornadoes and other acts of nature that could suddenly reduce our lives to rubble. I've learned in life, the hard way, to never say never. Life will humble you. You can count on this. None of us have control over everything.
The ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS has begged for funds for decades to bolster the levee and pump systems around NOLA. What funds do you think NOLA has syphoned Cold Red Rain? Or are you just guessing they did that?
-
THE GLADIATOR
SaraAnnie
A Good Post!
FlyingHighNow
Who appointed you as the conscience of the world? Why don’t you get off your soap box and stop judging everyone.
These other posters have empathy but that does not mean they can’t express opinions about the lack of initiative at a local level. Empathy is useless unless it is converted into action.