I try not get too political on here, but after watching the aftermath of the disaster on the Gulf Coast, I am so frustrated that I can’t even hold it in. After 9/11, and the repeated yelping of our administration that our country is safe, and our nation’s resources ready to respond in the wake of terrorist disaster, I think most of us believed them. We believed that a system was in place to share and distribute resouces across our country in order to aid areas that might need it in the event of a massive calamity. That’s what we were told. That’s what all the terror alert business is about#–notifying our nation’s emergency response personnel that they could be activated immediately.
Katrina was not a terrorist attack… but it is a massive calamity requiring the same resources that have been touted by our leadership: FEMA, Homeland Security, National Guard, etc. And yet here we are on Friday, days and days after the storm, with anarchy in the streets of New Orleans the likes we have only seen recently in Iraq. How did this kind of mass chaos and total lack of security occur in post 9/11 America? Aren’t there steps for addressing this kind of event? We’ve been lead to believe so.
And yet here we are.
I’m saddened. Saddened and disgusted because, yet again, I feel let down by our nation’s leadership.
I’m saddened and disgusted, but not surprised. The leadership of this President (or more properly, the lack of it)has done this country grievious harm, which will take many years to repair.
I am one of the masses who was and is cynical of this administration. I am one who found no solace in the invasion of Iraq and still fine no reason for our troops being there. I am one who detested the the banner saying mission accomplished. This administration has for me done nothing but rape the treasury and resources of our nation and destroyed what good will we had among nations. But this situation is unbearable, the misery the desperation of the people of New Orleans and surrounding communities is beyond anything the administration media machine can say to cover it up. They will swing into action to defend him and try to silence any detractors with name calling and perhap even say it not patriotic that in time of war to bring any blame the President since it was an act of god and what could he do, being let down by the people he put in charge.
I’m not at all glad this terrible thing has happen, maybe glad it was not a “Dirty Bomb”, or Nuclear Accident. Maybe this nation will not bury it’s head in the sand and let this attrocity go unchallenge, let it go without calling to task this administration that give platitudes without substance.
But I’m cynical and a naysayer, Guess I expected him to go to New Orleans with hip boots and a canoe to see the sights. Stand in the water and see the dead and the despair of the masses and demand that this they be serve better by his administration. Maybe if he had manned his battle station when he knew that this was coming so that instead of a political photo-op we would had saw some of the leadership of a “War President” that he and his cronies portray hm as.
I am also disappointed in the way our leadership in Washington handeled the initial response. However, the event I’m most disheartened by is the fact that some of our elected leaders has turned this into a race related issue. To imply the government moved slowly because NO is primarily a city of color is outrageous. I’m not ignorant to the fact racial issues still exist here in our country, but when I see elected congressmen/women stand in front of America and point their fingers at our country’s leadership and imply what the did was shocking to me. In my view this type of behavior only inflames the situation we’re facing. My response to them…please quit being the problem and start being part of the solution.
Some in Houston have started calling the Astrodome “Bushville.”
I don’t think the lack of response to New Orleans was because the majority of the effected are people of color#–I think it’s because our nation is not as prepared as our leaders claim, and because those leaders are woefully out of communication with state and local governments and are more concerned with staying in power/spreading their moral and religious beliefs than with their social responsibilities to serve the people and the people’s best interests.
As a leader, you don’t do “what you think is right”, you do what is best for the people and sacrifice your own ambitions.
And you also admit when wrong, promise a fix, then deliver on the promise.