Katrina Questions that Require Answers
Published by Blandus September 3rd, 2005 in Uncategorized1) Why did it take (is it taking) so long to get relief supplies to the newly homeless? Was it really the fact that everything was ready to go, but the Louisiana governor did not fill out the proper form to request federal aid? Or, was it a breakdown in the chain of command in certain areas of homeland security? Was it the fact that New Orleans chose to spend more money on Mardis Gras celebrations than emergency cell phone towers such that there was no communication ability post-flood? What is the real story?
2) Why is the national media spending so much time race-baiting rather than track down the answers to the above questions? I’ve seen countless stories on how black people in New Orleans are suffering. I’ve seen one story that actually addresses what the various aid agencies are trying to do about it. Sensational emotion-tearing stories that raise a lot of lazy blaming questions fill our airwaves. Are the media violating their public trust to investigate and report the truth? Where are the journalists?
3) Why is there so much attention on New Orleans (and all the black people there)? Is no one in Mississippi or Alabama hurt? Is it that Orleans parish is the only predominately black area that was severely affected? Is it that federal aid is getting to all the other (white) counties and aid agencies are intentionally letting blacks die? Is it that all the poor white people are smarter with better survival skills than all the poor blacks of New Orleans and are thus less affected? Is it that our society has so mistreated the black community with the soft bigotry of low expectations as to make the previous question a reality? Is it that saying things like, “This is more like Africa than America” plays better on television and better aligns with the political worldview of the 90% of “journalists” who vote ‘Democrat’?
4) Why are there so many poor and hurting black people in New Orleans so dependent on the federal government for any hope of present rescue? My own very unscientific anecdotal tally shows about 70% of black people interviewed on the major three networks blame the federal government (or George Bush, FEMA, etc.) for their current predicament. Have the liberals so incapacitated this community with entitlement that they are unable to appreciate that they are still (even for the moment) alive without a federal handout? Are they so reliant on bureaucracy to live that they have lost all identity as autonomous human beings? How many other people are ashamed of this unholy demonstration?
5) Why didn’t New Orleans or Louisiana have a better evacuation plan? Did they even have a realistic plan or did they just shout at the last minute, “Hey, all you poor black people, move to the big place with no food or water. At least you won’t drown just yet” ? Did officials with guns really use the force of their positions to keep citizens inside these prisons of darkness - even after the storm? Did people really have to sneak out just to get to dry land and begin the search for food? Is anyone else worried about future liberties (real liberty) for the black American?
6) Why are so many people who believe that humans are no different than animals so grieved at the present affliction? The countless voices who support the low literacy and high abortion rates of the black community now decide that black lives are worth preserving? No one seems to be arguing that this random natural event should wipe out those who are not fit enough to survive. Perhaps on some level, they still really believe that a human life is special, and worth more than a dog?
7) Finally, how long will it take for the Democrats to use the suffering of America as a political tool? We’ve already seen the deranged editorial voices (like Cindy Shehan) claiming the hurricane was due to George Bush’s policy on “global warming.” We’ve seen Jessie Jackson compare the rescue bus waiting areas to “the galley of a slave ship.” We’ve seen Democrat officials of all levels from Louisiana cursing the federal government. What we have not yet seen is someone like Hilary Clinton claim that President Bush was directly to blame for the catastrophe as she did in the great power outage early in his first term. The other minor voices might be excused for their idiocy or grief, but let’s pray that the voices with the ability to turn Americans against each other will feel some responsibility to preserve our country, and show some restraint.
There need to be investigations into what has gone wrong, but now is not the time. Some investigative oversight is needed at this point to fill in any gaps in the system so that we can get as many people into the helping process alive as quickly as possible – however damaged that process might currently be. We need more news on what is actually going on and less politicizing and shell-shocked frenzy from our reporters. Now is the time for practical answers and the movement of aid. The country needs to know what we actually need to do to serve our fellow man.
Awesome post, man. A little too obsessed with race–but when people are obsessed with stuff you have to talk about it to fight to obsession. I honestly think (4) is the most important of these. Screw the feds, why didn’t New Orleans city gov’t have a better plan? It’s not like they couldn’t predict that eventually a hurricane’s going to hit them. Is it really the fed’s responsibility to examine every single community in America, determine the dangers they face from natural disasters, and develop plans to deal with them? Of course not. Local organizations have to take this responsibility, right?
True.
I blame the media! What we need is more internet, and more of the truly free press!
Madness!
really good post, especially #2. I think class is more important than race, i.e. I’m sure all the middle class and wealthy blacks got out in time, and I’m sure the poor whites didn’t. and the fact that the city of New Orleans didn’t have a good evacuation plan is the reason people are dead. but if New Orleans had the foresight to make a really good, detailed evacuation plan, wouldn’t that have caused mass panic and capital flight when the scope of the danger was actually exposed!?!?!? hm. rock and hard place, they took a gamble and lost. personally, I think the NO leadership is going to come off looking really, really bad. but I’m rambling. out.
As I read the post again, it does seem that I focused a tad much on race. Just in case it comes up from a later reader - I am not against black people.
As I have studied Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Deuteronomy, I have been increasingly struck by God’s desire for social justice. I see the liberal perversion of social justice and how it has harmed American blacks. I also see the various levels of indifference from conservatives to the issue at all. I have been a little sensitive about the subject lately and watching the media abuse the images of hurting people for tainted ends likely set me over the top a bit.
Thanks for the encouraging comments.
I absolutely agree that much of the horrors we have seen in NO fall squarely on the shoulders of state and local officials.
Krupa’s point about class vs. race is well-taken. Yet, I still believe that race is the selection criteria used for which pictures of devastation get on our televisions.