Are You Kidding Me?

(2005) In the aftermath of the terrible tragedy brought upon the Gulf Coast and New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina, I can't believe what my ears are hearing and what my eyes are seeing.

Let the 2005 US Blame Games begin.

It's hard to believe, but what seemed like just hours after the single, largest natural disaster in American history took place, screams of blame and racism began being shouted over the airwaves of America's news channels. Literally.

First, there was the New Orleans Mayor, Ray Nagin, saying on a radio show the next day, "You got to be kidding me. This is a national disaster. Get every doggone Greyhound bus line in the country and get their as%#s moving to New Orleans!"

Facts are, he sent people to the Superdome with no plans of provisions. No excuse my friend. None. The Astrodome in the Houston area has been prepared for years for a major hurricane by having cots, food and emergency services ready and waiting. Why? Galveston is only 20 minutes away from the Gulf of Mexico. I know, I lived there myself for 12 years. Yet, the Mayor of an on-the-water, below sea-level major city didn't even bother to plan ahead by having one cot, one bottle of water, one MRE, one bus, or one generator ready! He even refused to use all of the hundreds of available school buses to get people out, stating he would rather have greyhounds. Making matters worse, he then allowed tourists to leave from exclusive, pricy hotels before his own people, allowing them to cut to the front of the line at the Superdome. I don't need to point a finger, because all of his are pointing right back at him.

Then there was the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, a democrat by the way, who began rallying blame on President Bush and FEMA for not helping quickly enough. Fact is all governors and mayors are in possession of the federal rules on evacuations involving a major disaster. The rules book is issued by FEMA – the Federal Emergency Management Act. FEMA responds after a disaster, not before. Gov. Blanco refused the urging of President Bush to enact an all out evacuation of the area, stating she wanted another 24 hours to think about it. It was in her mind an issue of authority and power. She was wrong. Dead wrong.

Then New Orleans Police Chief Eddie Compass has been ranting and raving about the poor response to the area and how decimated things are. Surely they are, but when hundreds of your own staff disobey your orders, have been seen looting, or have walked off the job altogether it makes one question your leadership ability to begin with.

But nothing is worse than the politicizing of this horrible event by liberal democrats. It really makes me sick at my stomach. Rather than focusing on helping those who are hurting and without anything, these gutless people have decided it's best to use this catastrophe for their own personal gain.

You've got Hilary Clinton rushing to the area to make her face known. Al Sharpton running to defend "his people's" rights to live in filth and disease, and the fake Reverend Jesse Jackson claiming this entire event, maybe even the Hurricane itself, was an act of 1950s civil unrest and racism. Crazy stuff. Just stupid.

I won't even bother mentioning the tons of celebrities who have come out of the woodwork, shown up for a 30 minute volunteer session of handing out water, only then to be called heroes. What a joke. Go back to Hollywood please and let those who really care help these hurting people.

The real heroes are the people of the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and dozens of other ministries and organizations who have given their time and money everyday to these people.

It's a sad, sad time. People have been separated from their own children. Others have already died in their own homes. Many others will. Pets have been left to drown, starve and die.

Blame can be placed everywhere and some day many questions have to be answered. Why did people stay when a category 5 hurricane, with winds of 200mph, was staring them in the face? Why did it take so long to get people out of the area? Why have people turned this into an opportunity to further political aspirations? Why are people blaming the President or FEMA for a response to a disaster to the magnitude that has have never occurred before? Why was New Orleans, of all cities, not fully prepared and ready for this? Why were studies and warnings ignored for over 30 years since Hurricane Camille? Why? Why? Why?

But this is not a time for whying or whining. This is time to give, love and pray.

People need our money, our clothes, our support, shelter and direction. Their lives were taken from them and nothing, if anything, is coming back for a long, long time.

New Orleans will never be the same. Neither will the rest of us. People of all colors and all races are feeling this one in the gut. It hurts and it's sad.

Let's stop the Blame Games of 2005. No one's a winner here.

"Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." Acts 2:44-46



© 2005, J. Brady
"I say it as I see it and I make no bones about it."