' We have let our people down'
My friend Don from Memphis send me the following comment on how he felt about the way the government acted upon the tragedy that took place in New Orleans. I am posting it here on BlackMylar Europe to share this insight with y'all.
I feel compelled to write about this -- this summer of 2005. I have seen the very foundations of my belief in the security of our government shaken and smashed. We were a powerful nation, one that was built upon a principle based on equal treatment of its citizens. Mistakes have been made in our short history. No government is perfect. In fact, I'd say quite a few are flawed to the point of self collapse.
But with the recent hurricane and the near total destruction of New Orleans and most of the Gulf coast comes a revelation. I have seen images of human misery that rival those if not in numbers, but in intensity, of the Holocaust. The horror of it is it has happened in the richest, most powerful nation on Earth.
America was the country that helped others in despair. We sent money, medical help, engineers, whatever it took to aid the world. And now, God help us, we can't even help our own citizens. It is true the disaster that struck the Gulf coast was "catastrophic" even "biblical in proportion" as described by the press. But be that as it may, we have let our people down.
The powers that be knew a category 4 or 5 hurricane was headed for this densely populated metropolitan area. The scenario of what could happen to New Orleans had been mapped, forecasted and presented to officials for years. Reinforce the levees, upgrade the pumps, plan evacuation routes, stockpile necessary supplies and so on. Maybe denial kicked in or the lack of funds bullshit that is handed down from our leaders so frequently in their high-handed way. Whatever the cost would have been, it would have been justified in comparison to what has happened.
I cannot understand why it took so long for help to arrive. As I watched the disaster from my home, I first went into a kind of shock. I simply couldn't believe that a city I visited often and fell in love with through the years was being subjected to the scale of destruction dealt by mother nature that it was. But this was indeed mother nature and she has never played favorites. Then the true horror set in after the storm's fury passed.
I do not believe that the order to evacuate New Orleans was given in time. Also knowing the demographics of this city, meaning the high poverty level, meant a large part of the population did not have the means to flee. Why was public transportation not provided? Did it never occur to anyone to press busses, trains or whatever it took into service? To my knowledge this did not happen. Then the levee system failed. Yes, that prediction actually happened and the city was flooded.
Why was martial law not declared immediately after the storm? With the absence of utilities and control, the gang activities, looting and general chaos that began in the streets this would seem a logical step. The relief providers feared for their own safety and thus efforts to enter the city and begin helping those who needed it were slowed. This was a major disaster! Where was the military? The National Guard? The Marines? Do we think simply surrendering the streets for days and days is the answer? Since no real effort was made to evacuate the citizens who needed help in the first place, was it the right thing to do to let them fend for themselves in a devastated city without even the basic tools for urban survival? Was Washington blind to what was going to happen?
The president of the United States called the response time and effort "unacceptable." I could not agree more. Time is so very critical when an event such as this occurs and yet the response time drug on and on with maddening slowness. It seemed it took the attention and disbelief of the rest of the world to get things rolling. And still --- almost a full week later -- we hear the tales of misery and suffering that have been caused by the snail's pace relief efforts.
I hope we have reached a turning point in the situation. Maybe this is the end of the beginning. I know full well that the rebuilding process will be a long one. There is no way around that. But when I think of the suffering, misery and death that could have been avoided, my angers rises. The organized government of this nation has let our citizens down. Nothing will change my mind about that. I am embarrassed and ashamed that our people have been treated so poorly. They deserved better.
Maybe we will learn something from what has happened this summer of 2005. Maybe we will remember this when the glittering promises drown us at election time. I know I will remember.
I feel compelled to write about this -- this summer of 2005. I have seen the very foundations of my belief in the security of our government shaken and smashed. We were a powerful nation, one that was built upon a principle based on equal treatment of its citizens. Mistakes have been made in our short history. No government is perfect. In fact, I'd say quite a few are flawed to the point of self collapse.
But with the recent hurricane and the near total destruction of New Orleans and most of the Gulf coast comes a revelation. I have seen images of human misery that rival those if not in numbers, but in intensity, of the Holocaust. The horror of it is it has happened in the richest, most powerful nation on Earth.
America was the country that helped others in despair. We sent money, medical help, engineers, whatever it took to aid the world. And now, God help us, we can't even help our own citizens. It is true the disaster that struck the Gulf coast was "catastrophic" even "biblical in proportion" as described by the press. But be that as it may, we have let our people down.
The powers that be knew a category 4 or 5 hurricane was headed for this densely populated metropolitan area. The scenario of what could happen to New Orleans had been mapped, forecasted and presented to officials for years. Reinforce the levees, upgrade the pumps, plan evacuation routes, stockpile necessary supplies and so on. Maybe denial kicked in or the lack of funds bullshit that is handed down from our leaders so frequently in their high-handed way. Whatever the cost would have been, it would have been justified in comparison to what has happened.
I cannot understand why it took so long for help to arrive. As I watched the disaster from my home, I first went into a kind of shock. I simply couldn't believe that a city I visited often and fell in love with through the years was being subjected to the scale of destruction dealt by mother nature that it was. But this was indeed mother nature and she has never played favorites. Then the true horror set in after the storm's fury passed.
I do not believe that the order to evacuate New Orleans was given in time. Also knowing the demographics of this city, meaning the high poverty level, meant a large part of the population did not have the means to flee. Why was public transportation not provided? Did it never occur to anyone to press busses, trains or whatever it took into service? To my knowledge this did not happen. Then the levee system failed. Yes, that prediction actually happened and the city was flooded.
Why was martial law not declared immediately after the storm? With the absence of utilities and control, the gang activities, looting and general chaos that began in the streets this would seem a logical step. The relief providers feared for their own safety and thus efforts to enter the city and begin helping those who needed it were slowed. This was a major disaster! Where was the military? The National Guard? The Marines? Do we think simply surrendering the streets for days and days is the answer? Since no real effort was made to evacuate the citizens who needed help in the first place, was it the right thing to do to let them fend for themselves in a devastated city without even the basic tools for urban survival? Was Washington blind to what was going to happen?
The president of the United States called the response time and effort "unacceptable." I could not agree more. Time is so very critical when an event such as this occurs and yet the response time drug on and on with maddening slowness. It seemed it took the attention and disbelief of the rest of the world to get things rolling. And still --- almost a full week later -- we hear the tales of misery and suffering that have been caused by the snail's pace relief efforts.
I hope we have reached a turning point in the situation. Maybe this is the end of the beginning. I know full well that the rebuilding process will be a long one. There is no way around that. But when I think of the suffering, misery and death that could have been avoided, my angers rises. The organized government of this nation has let our citizens down. Nothing will change my mind about that. I am embarrassed and ashamed that our people have been treated so poorly. They deserved better.
Maybe we will learn something from what has happened this summer of 2005. Maybe we will remember this when the glittering promises drown us at election time. I know I will remember.
posted by Pasquinel at 11:02 PM
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