President Bush during a briefing on Hurricane Katrina

[hummingwolf]

The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch. (Laughter.)

I think it is time for me to get away from the news and take a good, long walk.

Comments

[paradigm-palace.livejournal.com]

What I meant by "chose" was choosing to be a resident there for the past ten, twenty, thirty years -- not choosing to stay there over the weekend that the hurricane struck. I'm well aware that many who were stuck in New Orleans when it flooded were too poor, old and/or disabled to evacuate.

And I'm well aware of what it feels like to be left behind, ignored, abandoned and made a target for the worst possible scenarios just because I've lacked basic resources, sympathy and respect from my surrounding community in times of need --- just not in the face of a hurricane heading my way.

I'm not saying it isn't a tragedy or that it's by any means fair and acceptable. I just don't see how it's "ALL the federal government's fault", which has become a national and irritatingly narrow-minded cry. Several things could have been done on a local level, as well, that were not done. And the roots of this tragedy aren't anything unique to the city of New Orleans. Poor people EVERYWHERE are targets for the lowest possible priority list. And it's frequently not only and not even primarily the federal government who makes that list. Just something to think about.

[jennixen.livejournal.com]

Well, my opinion is that whenever there are people suffering of, for instance, poverty, society and government (local or not) have the responsibility to try to help those people.
I don't think that poor people have themselves to blame - ever.
It's our responsibility as humans to try to help those who have less than we do, unless we suffer ourselves, which is of course something we have to decide for ourselves.

In this particular instance, I agree that there would've been casualities anyway but that the local authorities and perhaps the federal aswell (since I don't know exactly who has the responsibility) haven't done what they could have.
In my favourite world (perhaps a non existant one), those who couldn't leave, would have gotten help from the authorities.
I guess I should be more cynical...

[paradigm-palace.livejournal.com]

It is my opinion, also, that whenever people are suffering society and the government have a responsibility to try and help those people. It is my opinion, also, that poor people in America are frequently not to blame for their plight. And it is my opinion that it's our responsibility to help others who have less than we do even *if* we suffer, ourselves. So our opinions on those fundamental basics are not as diametrically opposed as they might seem at the first glace of a comment thread.

Of course the local and federal authorities could have done more. I could have been nicer to my neighbor, today. I could have visited and volunteered at the local homeless shelter, as well, but I didn't. The point is that sometimes we ALL fall short of ideals and responsibilities not because we don't try or don't care. The framework that we work in, daily, is flawed because we are human. And sitting behind our computer screens in our comfortable homes while doling out absolute blame after the fact of a natural disaster seems presumptuous and cowardly to me. Of course more could have been done that wasn't but *nothing* was not done. Some important things were done and thank goodness for that. And what about the hundreds of thousands of people who *did* have the means to get out of town and didn't bother giving a ride to someone that didn't? Aren't they to blame, as well? I've read accounts from people that witnessed others driving by in SUV's full of luggage that refused to give rides to other *people* because their cars were full. Don't hold the government responsible for what you don't hold your citizenry responsible for.

Cynicism has nothing to do with it. It more a matter of realism. Maybe I just started off with less faith in the government's ability to mobilize than most Americans did before this hurricane hit. Maybe I had a deeper appreciation for the fragility of human life than to believe that fewer would suffer from such a force of nature as hurricane Katrina when they are crammed like sardines along a coastline, some of which lies below sea-level. I don't know.