Why?

Fit_mommy

Fit_mommy

Cathlete
DH and I were watching the news...

These poor people in New Orleans were told to go to the convention center to get help. Thousands flocked to the center as they were told to do yet no one was there to help them. They weren't given food or water for days...babies and adults alike are dying of dehydration! There are food supplies in the center but it's all locked up so they can not get to it. No one is helping these people when they did as they were told. WHY?

The gov't says that they are doing all they can...DH and I find it hard to believe...;(

Do you believe it?
 
This is getting worse by the day. Now there are snipers, thugs, etc. roaming the streets killing people I guess just for the sport of it. Lawlessness has taken hold. They need to send in the marines, and I'm not kidding.
 
Do I believe what??
That our government told them to go there on purpose and intentially ignore them????? C'mon.
This was a major disaster.

But what really ticks me off is the lawlessness going on. People complain not enough is being done but yet shots are fired at military, police and even volunteers in their own flat bottom boats to search for volunteers...What the heck is that???
I heard of ambulances being over turned and generators being stolen from hospitals.
And when resources have to be pulled from search and rescue to go and restore order because people who volunteer fear for their lives ...

well I think it's hard to exactly point any fingers....

Michelle
 
It's so very sad.

I saw a picture today of a 17 year old girl helping an old woman that was moved from a nursing home to a gymnasium down in MS. The old woman looked in her eyes like she was an angel. It made me cry.
 
"Do I believe what??
That our government told them to go there on purpose and intentially ignore them????? C'mon.
This was a major disaster."

******************************************

Point taken but if these people are being told to go somewhere for help shouldn't they expect to get it when they get there? I certainly think so. JMO.
 
It's pretty depressing to watch. I heard on CNN they're sending 43,000 National Guards. The sniper situation must've been frightening. Some people in New Orleans have waited for more than 100 hours for water and food. It's pretty bad. They need help from all of us.
 
Un-fortunately it just shows how un-prepared we (and that is the entire country, not just the areas hit)are to deal with disasters on this level.

At first I wondered why the people in New Orleans and the cities in Mississippi didn't leave before the hurricane hit. (Some of them are old enough to remember the destruction of Camille years ago). Then as the pictures emerged I saw that we were talking about a lot of people who are poor and elderly that likely had no means of transportation, no money and nowhere to go.

As far as the looting...I'm somewhat two sided on that issue. I can image, just from the pictures, the desperation many trapped people are feeling. I understand (not necessarily condoning) the looting of basic living necessities. Under normal circumstances, I'm certain most of the looter's morals and values would not allow them to step down to this level. However in an all out effort to survive when no hope appears to be in sight...the most upright person would do the un-thinkable. Now on the other, the idiots out there stealing electronics and crap like that, I have no sympathy for. First of all, it's likely ruined by the water. And if it's not, where the heck are you going to put it, duh...most of their homes are under water and the power is out.

Question: Why haven't more military and law enforcement official from around the country been sent to New Orleans? Heck, we are so quick to deploy troops around the world at the slightest hint of un-rest. But when disasters happen here, help is slow to arrive. I mean, we are talking about a the total destruction of several cities in two states. The more desperate people feel, the more dangerous the situation will become for the victim and well as law enforcement.

I've talked with a friend stationed at Fort Campbell and he said if they are not given order to deploy to New Orleans soon, he'll just go AWOL and head down there himself. He can't stand just sitting around and not helping.

I too feel like I'm helpless. I have made donations and worked with different programs putting together shipments. But somehow I just feel like it's just not enough.

My prayers continually go out to all the people in these areas.
 
Troops have been deployed. They are there as we speak-er-type. I saw some interviews on the tube tonight during dinner. Apparently things are gradually improving in terms of the unrest.

Michele
 
Let's see could the delay in deployment be because the majority of the National Guard is in another country?

I read in todays paper that the remaining National Guardsmen of NEW HAMPSHIRE are being deployed to New Orleans. The motto of the NG used to be "neighbors helping neighbors"

The Manchester (NH) Union Leader, which is a very conservative newspaper, criticized Bush yesterday for his lack of front line leadership in this crisis. They were asking for the post 9/11 "W" to come back and lead his citizens.

I guess since there's no military option against Mother Nature there's no use in parading in front of the citizens, rallying the rescuers.

Dave
 
This country jumps to help other countries but when it's their own, they argue over the politics. That's why it took so long to get help over there the freaking politics. It's unfreakingbelievable what's happening here.
Kali

www.PictureTrail.com/kkali
 
Desi and Dave, I agree with your posts. I see an APPALLING lack of leadership in this crisis. More should have been done at an earlier stage. I would steal food and water too just to stay alive - anyone would. Humans have a survival instinct. These people have no drinking water. They have no food. They have no electricty or light. What does everyone suppose they are eating and drinking???? They can't even use a real bathroom. Most of us never have to go a few hours without food or water, let alone four days. I'm not condoning the looting either, but most of it appears to be a matter of survival. There are babies trapped. Children die of dehydration much faster than adults. And I can't even think about the animals trapped in there. Those who are looting anything other than basic necessities of life are the exception. As to the snipers and people who are now raping and killing, I have no explanation. I'm sure a kind of warfare survival state has taken over most people. The state NO is now in is not the normal way of life those people were used to. Some have no medication that they need. There's no way to guess or judge why they're acting as they are. I continue to hold out hope for ALL of them and pray they can get troops in there, restore some type of order, and get those people to safe places with food and drinking water. That should be our government's TOP priority right now, IMHO.

Carol
 
>This country jumps to help other countries but when it's
>their own, they argue over the politics. That's why it took so
>long to get help over there the freaking politics. It's
>unfreakingbelievable what's happening here.
>Kali
>
>www.PictureTrail.com/kkali

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Did it really take that long to get help? And do people really think the goverment is sitting around going, "yeah it's an unmitigated disaster. Send 'em a couple a bottles of water and then let's get on to more important things." This is the aftermath of a disaster. This is what it looks like. And, it's only been a few days. I don't mean that in a "suck it up way" but in a logistical way. For the people in the middle of it that is an eternity, I understand, and they don't have any communications to let them know what is going on. But this is a huge disaster. What we are seeing may just be the best case scenario! It may be the best rescue teams could do over the last few days. Americans want everything RIGHT NOW, but rescue people are subject to the same difficulties - water, destroyed supplies, too many people with too many needs-as everyone else going through it. FEMA, the Red Cross, the National Guard, they aren't miracle workers. I know I'm going to get flack for this but IMHO part of the problem here is that americans have become weak in mind and body. People are physically unprepared to "fight" their through a disaster and mentally unprepared to think on their feet. The very day after Katrina hit people were complaining that the government was doing enough and demanding their "rights." C'mon. And for it to deteriorate into violence so quickly in a civilized country is absolutely shameful, though I think it says more about the people perpetrating the violence than it does about ill prepared disaster crews.


What I want to know is, why do they have no food or water in the Superdome but they have guns?!

Sparrow
 
well congress had to debate for a day or two about money. thats nonesense. i say sorry to other countries but we can't help you this time we need the $10 billion for this dying ppl in our country. i remember not even day after the tsaumi this country pledge 10 billion but it took a few days for congress to debate how much to help our ppl. really shakes my faith in government. i really hope these ppl can get help soon. tons of fundraisers are going on right now in our town. one guy is collection bottled water, a tractor trailer full to be exact and he is personally driving down there to help in the efforts. i am also donating what ever cash i can to autism=society that are in texas waiting the arrival of families with special needs children. they have gotten counselers and supplies to help. but i have to say they better have those pipelines open next week as planned b/c they will see riots everywhere if gas contiues the rate it is. our area is suggested to buy gas cap locks b/c ppl are now stealing from other ppls cars. just a warning to you guys be on the look out

kassia


When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey
 
>I know I'm going to get flack for
>this but IMHO part of the problem here is that americans have
>become weak in mind and body. People are physically
>unprepared to "fight" their through a disaster and mentally
>unprepared to think on their feet.

Sparrow, you probably will get flack, however what you said is a hard pill to swallow for most because it does speak volumes to the mental state of a lot of us. You know as I sit and watch the tv, I can't help but make comparisons to some things and the way people behave. Heck after a sports team "wins" a championship the deteriate to the same level of mania. Why is that...your team won????? What does that say about us?

We (and I say we in speaking to the entire country) had at least a week to prepare for the worst-case senario with this storm. Days before it made land-fall, they were already comparing the likely devistation with storms such as Andrew, Ivan and Camille. Shouldn't we have had law enforcement on standby to deploy the minute the storm lifted? We know that anytime there is a disaster, the support agencies (law enforcement, medical staff, etc) in that area become overwhelmed.

Shouldn't we have already been making donations in money and basic living items before, because we know wherever Katrina landed, there was going to be massive devistation? Why do we need to see how much damage is done before we launch into action. We need to start think pro-actively instead of reacting.
 
Kassia, my daughter heard that in school yesterday - that people are having gas siphoned out of their cars. I guess it's time to buy locking gas caps!! YIKES!!!

Sparrow, I understand what you're saying. My heart just goes out to those people when I see the pictures on the news. You may be right - this may be the best our government can do right now, but it "feels" like it's taking too long.

Carol
:)
 
Yes, I watched Dateline last night and had horrible dreams from watching it. Watched Katie Couric this morning. Wish she would ditch those glasses though! Anyhow, it just seems so unreal that the help is not coming as fast as it should. WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR????
Well my neighbor who is a state trooper is going down there this morning. He will be helping out for 2 weeks. I am saying lots of prayers for him and his family as it is just crazy there. I kept dreaming about the babies suffering so much too. What really got me was this poor woman who tried to get on the bus and she was pushed away and her baby got on without her. Can you imagine? Just terrible.

Charlotte~~
 
Well, what's really disturbing is the director of FEMA saying YESTERDAY that they only "just heard" there are people in the Superdome. WTF???? The government was telling them for DAYS to go there!

And I have not really seen any pictures of Bush in the last week. I guess this one makes it too hard to twist into a "family values" debate. Ugh.

I am praying for the people who live there, because the ones who did not get out are the ones who couldn't: the poor, the elderly, the disabled.

It's all very, very sad.

Marie
 
I, too, have a hard time watching it all "live" on TV. It makes me so sad. I will be sending donations, but I wish there was more I could do. (We live in Al, so this hits close to home!) Dh is in the military and is so frustrated that they won't send him and some of his coworkers down to help. Where he works right now is a school for officers, it's not like it's a critically needed thing right now. For goodness sake, the country is experiencing a national disaster. The politics are sooo frustrating!!

Hopefully they will get the immediate help they need soon. Long term, this is going to be a mess! :(
 
I was listening to Matt and Katie on the Today show a few minutes ago. They actually admitted that the media maybe be overly focusing on the violence and causing the civilian relief workers to be afraid to go into the city of NO. What a shame.

I wish the media would stop comparing this natural disaster to a terrorist attack. That's like apples and oranges. It would take all out war, not a terrorist attack to cause this amt of horrible damage.

Those poor people. I wish I could take my physical body down there and help. Giving money is the right thing to do but it seems to be not enough. It is taking too long for the help these people need to start.
 
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