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RE: [RC] News from Louisiana - VERY OT - Nell LindquistI just had to respond to Heidi, who's posts I have read and respect a great
deal, BUT - those
people who are waiting for somebody to do something, well, most of them are
there because they
were following the instructions of the authorities. Those who did not have the
means (vehicle,
money for gas, etc.) to evacuate were TOLD to shelter at the Superdome and
other locations. They
did what they were told, however, those in authority were not prepared for how
long this is going
on and so there is not enough food, water, etc.
I don't know if you've ever been to N.O., or been to the part where the "real"
people live, but it
is an extremely poor, mostly minority (which is an oxymoron, I realize) city.
These are not the
cultured, educated Southern sons and daughters of privilege of New Orleans
mythology. These are
grindingly poor, uneducated, mostly unmotivated, because
"what-the-hell-is-there-to-work for?"
people. Yes, the are lots of thugs and criminals, but the majority of those
people are just
desperate and bewildered because they were following instructions and now have
been left in dire
situations. They have been told not to leave the shelters, and if they leave,
there are people
shooting at them, so while it is all well and good to talk about the
able-bodied people just
"walking out," that is much easier said than done. Even if they can swim or
float to I-10, many of
the overpasses are out, so they are stranded on the highway. Also, one must
remember that there
are also many tourists stuck there with all the riff-raff. What the hell are
they supposed to do?
They don't even know the area.
And what about what is happening with the hospitals? Those doctors, nurses and
other staff have
been working selflessly for five days, and I DO BELIEVE that there has got to
be somebody in
authority who should be doing something for those folks! Maybe leave the scummy
shooters to wander
the streets, but there has got to be somebody in the state, local or federal
government who can
help those people in the hospitals AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING! That is a major
screw-up in disaster
planning!
So, while I am all for self-reliance and helping your neighbor, I do believe
that there are times
when it is absolutely essential for us to question where the hell our
government is in times of
disaster. That is why I pay my taxes without complaint.
---NELL (born in Lousisana, now in Texas, and yes, we have refugees here that
we are helping)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for sharing that, Maryanne. My dad and I were talking along
similar lines as we watched the news this evening. Although I can't
begin to know the sort of suffering these folks are undergoing, what
struck both of us about some of them was their anger at the
"authorities" and their assertation that "somebody" should "do
something." Yet I suspect the vast majority of these people had TV
sets and knew the storm was coming--they could have stockpiled water,
at the very least, even if they didn't have money. Many of the "poor"
are wearing clothes that cost a heckuva lot more than my whole
wardrobe. My heart goes out to the young, old, disabled, etc.--but if
this was a third-world country, all of those able-bodied ones would
have gotten on their feet as soon as the winds and rains abated and
would have started walking. What was really tragic IMO were the ones
who DID stockpile, and who are stuck up on their rooftops now, running
out of things, because they don't dare go down on the street where
others are looting and being violent. I think you're right--if I ever
have to undergo a natural disaster, it would be a lot more survivable
in some part of the world where people already understand deprivation
and have cultural ethics for dealing with it.
Heidi
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