I have to wonder....if the majority of the stranded in New Orleans were of another race -- would FEMA still be complaining about having to rescue them during "urban warfair
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I'm sure discrimination is part of the issue of the extrememly slow and inadequate response to rescuing the stranded in New Orleans. I also was told by Justin that New Orleans was going to increase their levy protection system (which would have greatly lessened the effect of Katrina), but only had 20% of the funds.... the other 80% being diverted to the war in Iraq. A significant portion of Louisiana's national guard, the citizens we count on to help in natural disasters, is also now serving Iraq.
I guess we just can't be surprised, too, that the government has continued to ignore scientific findings that New Orleans was in severe danger of devastation from even a more mild storm because of the wetlands destroyed from our ignored friend Global Warming (ozone destroyed, ice caps melting, sea level rising, wetlands submerged). Without wetlands there is less of a buffer when storms hit New Orleans- a buffer that is really needed when your city is 6 feet below sea level.
I think maybe this disaster and pitiful response should be a big slap in the face to Americans who think this administration is working for our best interests. Imagine if there had been another terrorist attack. Would we have to wait days and weeks to respond to that because our entire army is stretched thin in Iraq and across the globe? How much longer are we going to continue to ignore scientific proof that global warming is occuring? Maybe Bush should stop taking so many damn vacations and pay attention to citizens in need, regardless of their race or political power.
I also was told by Justin that New Orleans was going to increase their levy protection system (which would have greatly lessened the effect of Katrina), but only had 20% of the funds.... the other 80% being diverted to the war in Iraq.
Yeah, they've been talking about this quite a bit on CNN. And a friend of mine who's a news junkie did some looking through news archives and pulled up this:
It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us.
-- Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004.
What worries me, Nat, is that there will still be people out there willing themselves ignorant on parts of the disaster. Specifically the fact that the poor were left to fend for themselves while the well-to-do had at least an oppertunity to escape. People want to ignore the class system in america, ignore the old and sick, quite frankly may people only acnowledge the folks who look like Lindsay Lohan and have the money of Paris Hilton. It just disgusts me.....that and the fact that I had to pay 80 dollars to buy a replacement AC adapter for my computer disgusts me.
Are you going to the equal justice works job fair thing that was in the docket?
I just think it's pretty awful that people are willing to live in the dark like that- pretending that if they don't look at a problem it will go away. The administration needs to stop relying on volunteers (red cross, churches, etc.) to make things happen. We're the richest country in the world- we should be on top of our shit when responding to disasters or when implementing programs to combat poverty. Arggg.
I guess we just can't be surprised, too, that the government has continued to ignore scientific findings that New Orleans was in severe danger of devastation from even a more mild storm because of the wetlands destroyed from our ignored friend Global Warming (ozone destroyed, ice caps melting, sea level rising, wetlands submerged). Without wetlands there is less of a buffer when storms hit New Orleans- a buffer that is really needed when your city is 6 feet below sea level.
I think maybe this disaster and pitiful response should be a big slap in the face to Americans who think this administration is working for our best interests. Imagine if there had been another terrorist attack. Would we have to wait days and weeks to respond to that because our entire army is stretched thin in Iraq and across the globe? How much longer are we going to continue to ignore scientific proof that global warming is occuring? Maybe Bush should stop taking so many damn vacations and pay attention to citizens in need, regardless of their race or political power.
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Yeah, they've been talking about this quite a bit on CNN. And a friend of mine who's a news junkie did some looking through news archives and pulled up this:
It appears that the money has been moved in the president’s budget to handle homeland security and the war in Iraq, and I suppose that’s the price we pay. Nobody locally is happy that the levees can’t be finished, and we are doing everything we can to make the case that this is a security issue for us.
-- Walter Maestri, emergency management chief for Jefferson Parish, Louisiana; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 8, 2004.
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Are you going to the equal justice works job fair thing that was in the docket?
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