Grappling With So Many Things

While moving is by no stretch of the imagination an easy thing, or even fun, there are things in life that surpass the stress brought on by moving and assimilating oneself into a new environment. And it's with those words that my thoughts once again linger on those in the Gulf coast. Their homes haven't just been displaced, yet their entire lives are upended and dislocated.

Sadly, we as a nation have not responded the way one of the world's largest super-powers should have. People died due to lack of food and water and the scorching heat. People had to traverse through fetid, disease ridden waters in order to get to some place where they had the least little chance of hope. And sadly, we've turned this into a race issue as well. Bottom line is this folks, they are human beings. Not black, not african american, not even American at this point...they are human beings with basic human needs. Humans who deserve to be treated humanely.

How is it that in a split second we, as a nation can respond to third world disasters in the blink of an eye, yet when it hits us at home, we are unable to muster the resources to take care of our own in a timely manner? And why did this happen in New Orleans? I was listening to Face the Nation this morning when Tim Russert had Haley Barbour, the govenor of Mississippi on the show. The gulf region of Mississippi was a dead-on hit from Katrina. Yet they aren't facing the same crisis as those in New Orleans.....why not?

Why, when in a place like New Orleans, where this is inherint risk due to the fact that the city is below sea level and they've had questions in the past about whether the levees will hold or not, why why why didn't the local community organizations and governmental agencies coordinate better? Why can't those who have knowledge of the poor, sick, elderly, indigent....those without the means to transport themselves to safety...why can't those agencies coordinate with local authorities be it the police, or local government, to get those people out 24 hours in advance of an impending disaster? Especially in a case such as this where there is advance notice?

I just don't understand.

All it would have taken is a little bit of coordination on the parts of those I mentioned above and we wouldn't be seeing the horrific images we all are.

I think President Bush needs to take a long hard look at who he's got running things around the country, namely Chertoff, and ask himself if these are really the individuals who he really wants handling an entire nation if something on a national level - if some nation-wide catastrophe were to take place.