Anyone listening to Trent Lott on CNN?

[debbiet]

I've heard people ask how we can get supplies/personnel to a foreign country but we can't get them to our own people...I guess they fail to realize that our responses to a foreign country probably take alot longer than the 4 days it took to respond here...maybe only a few days longer...but this type of response takes a lot of TIME and LOTS of PEOPLE who aren't ALL just sitting around at some deployment depot waiting to respond. They are regular folks with regular jobs, families, responsibilities...and it will take several hours at best just to mobilize them and pack up the supplies...and for many takes a day or more just to get TO the disaster area.

It would have been incredibly STUPID of the government to mobilize every one of it's Red Cross/Salvation Army Teams...All of its FEMA Urban Searach and Rescue Teams and Disaster Medical Teams (which is basically what they've done in 4 days!) BEFORE they knew the scope and area of the disaster...FEMA can't win. If they had wasted our money by deploying resouces that weren't needed...they would get blasted. If they don't deploy enough as fast as everyone wants it...they get blasted. Well...I for one, am amazed at the level and scope of the response. I'm proud of what our leaders and our fellow Americans are doing...My heart breaks for those who have lost homes and jobs and family and perhaps are even dying in deplorable conditions...but that's what a disaster is...it isn't fair, and stuff isn't going to always follow a textbook with regard to what will happen and where. What I do believe without a doubt is that every person at every level is doing everything in their power to make this horrible situation a little bit better. I just wish the media and others could feel the same way and quit making a bad situation even worse by inflaming discontent and separation at a time when we all need to pull together.

[Ivanhater]

I've heard people ask how we can get supplies/personnel to a foreign country but we can't get them to our own people...I guess they fail to realize that our responses to a foreign country probably take alot longer than the 4 days it took to respond here...maybe only a few days longer...but this type of response takes a lot of TIME and LOTS of PEOPLE who aren't ALL just sitting around at some deployment depot waiting to respond. They are regular folks with regular jobs, families, responsibilities...and it will take several hours at best just to mobilize them and pack up the supplies...and for many takes a day or more just to get TO the disaster area.

It would have been incredibly STUPID of the government to mobilize every one of it's Red Cross/Salvation Army Teams...All of its FEMA Urban Searach and Rescue Teams and Disaster Medical Teams (which is basically what they've done in 4 days!) BEFORE they knew the scope and area of the disaster...FEMA can't win. If they had wasted our money by deploying resouces that weren't needed...they would get blasted. If they don't deploy enough as fast as everyone wants it...they get blasted. Well...I for one, am amazed at the level and scope of the response. I'm proud of what our leaders and our fellow Americans are doing...My heart breaks for those who have lost homes and jobs and family and perhaps are even dying in deplorable conditions...but that's what a disaster is...it isn't fair, and stuff isn't going to always follow a textbook with regard to what will happen and where. What I do believe without a doubt is that every person at every level is doing everything in their power to make this horrible situation a little bit better. I just wish the media and others could feel the same way and quit making a bad situation even worse by inflaming discontent and separation at a time when we all need to pull together.

darn right deb, americans are coming together, just a small few are trying to make this a political or race issue..americans are pulling together and we wont let these small few change that

[soonertwister]

It's really a damning condemnation of the goverment of NOLA that they had no contingency plan, or failed to evacuate the assisted elderly and handicapped in a mandatory evacuation.

They simply abandoned them to die. One nursing home, 80 dead, all residents of the facility. Where were their caregivers? None of them were in the death toll from than building, so those poor people were alone when they drowned.

We don't know all the facts yet, but I'm really starting to get a very negative opinion about the actions of the city government and the governor of Louisiana.

[debbiet]

Thanks Ivanhater...I've been so angry all day at the finger-pointing and blame-casting...I just needed to vent. I was glad to see that there were some people who actually shared MY point of view...unfortunately it seems we're the minority. Making this a race issue...good grief...it seems I heard on one of the news reports the majority of New Orleans population is black...wouldn't it stand to reason then that the majority of the evacuees would be black? I just don't get pulling the race card.

[Ivanhater]

Thanks Ivanhater...I've been so angry all day at the finger-pointing and blame-casting...I just needed to vent. I was glad to see that there were some people who actually shared MY point of view...unfortunately it seems we're the minority. Making this a race issue...good grief...it seems I heard on one of the news reports the majority of New Orleans population is black...wouldn't it stand to reason then that the majority of the evacuees would be black? I just don't get pulling the race card.

i feel the same way, i mean good lord, can we focus on saving people instead of fighting and making it about race, or politics i said earlier, this is about the HUMAN RACE, not the BLACK RACE, really ticks me off

[cmdebbie]

I've heard people ask how we can get supplies/personnel to a foreign country but we can't get them to our own people...I guess they fail to realize that our responses to a foreign country probably take alot longer than the 4 days it took to respond here...maybe only a few days longer...but this type of response takes a lot of TIME and LOTS of PEOPLE who aren't ALL just sitting around at some deployment depot waiting to respond. They are regular folks with regular jobs, families, responsibilities...and it will take several hours at best just to mobilize them and pack up the supplies...and for many takes a day or more just to get TO the disaster area.

It would have been incredibly STUPID of the government to mobilize every one of it's Red Cross/Salvation Army Teams...All of its FEMA Urban Searach and Rescue Teams and Disaster Medical Teams (which is basically what they've done in 4 days!) BEFORE they knew the scope and area of the disaster...FEMA can't win. If they had wasted our money by deploying resouces that weren't needed...they would get blasted. If they don't deploy enough as fast as everyone wants it...they get blasted. Well...I for one, am amazed at the level and scope of the response. I'm proud of what our leaders and our fellow Americans are doing...My heart breaks for those who have lost homes and jobs and family and perhaps are even dying in deplorable conditions...but that's what a disaster is...it isn't fair, and stuff isn't going to always follow a textbook with regard to what will happen and where. What I do believe without a doubt is that every person at every level is doing everything in their power to make this horrible situation a little bit better. I just wish the media and others could feel the same way and quit making a bad situation even worse by inflaming discontent and separation at a time when we all need to pull together.

Amen! I agree 110%...could not have said it better myself!!!

[oneness]

seems really interesting that the mayor sent the police force home before the storm and said to check in the next morning, thus leaving everyone vunerable since the storm came in early and they couldn't get back.

Police work is shift work. If you work around the clock, then 2/3 of your police are not going to be at work, at any given moment. Does someone feel they should all have been manning one shift?

We already know that they were at work before the core hit, and immediately the winds decreased on Monday afternoon police were in boats rescuing hundreds if not thousands of stranded people before sundown. We all saw them doing this on video of NO, so I don't know where this assertion that the NO police were not at work during the storm is coming from, nor why people are peddling it. It’s all bunk as far as I can see.

[oneness]

Ivanhater - i so agree - it is sad to see the state of our country and politicians. wish all the rumors and lies would stop. instead of everyone coming together it seems many are trying to find a way to divide us further. The concentration should be on helping these people and that is it.

I'm sorry artist, no offence, but I can not for the life of me see why people want to sheet-home blame to the NO police when they were the ONLY people there, actually saving lives of people who almost certainly would have drowned or gone through hell if they lived. They helped and evacuated residents for days before outside manpower arrived, and while politicians wrung their hands and made hollow promises. To see people heaping it up on the overwhelmed police and mayor (who did the best they possibly could, when no one else was doing much of anything) then talk about not blaming or festering divisions?

One day a book, or rather several books will be written about the incredible service and bravery of the NO police in recent days.

[gpickett00]

We here in Orlando are told - over and over - every single time that a storm even looks like it's going to get named - to prepare a FIVE DAY SUPPLY of food and water for each member of the household. They even remind us about having food and supplies for our PETS, too.

The reason they give is that RESPONSE TIMES AFTER SUCH AN EVENT MAY BE LIMITED AND DELAYED.

It is our responsibility as individuals, parents, neighbors and friends to prepare.

Save the "no money" justifications. Canned foods and bottled water are some of the cheapest items you can get.

Save the "they lost everything" comments. If THEY themselves are in one piece, then why not a dufflebag or even a pillowcase with supplies in them? Are we to believe that ALL of these multitudes were thrown out into the storm, their houses and supplies all ripped away? NO. The floods came after the winds and rain.

The Red Cross is calling this their biggest response ever. It has to be about the same for FEMA? AS BIG AS IT IS, we are now seeing - on the FOURTH day - large numbers of troops, trucks and supplies "finally" getting around.

Again, our regular - and common sense - instructions are to prepare to go five days on our own. We and our children won't be "starving" and "justifiably" looting after less than 48 hours.

How much more is this notion just common sense for a city below sea-level?

I completely agree, it is each citizens responsibility to pack up a pillowcase of a few days worth of food.

[GalvestonDuck]

I imagine when the stories come out, we'll hear that MANY of them were prepared or took responsibility for their survival, even if it was a last minute rush to grab a handful of canned foods from the kitchen and toss them in a bag before fleeing the rising flood waters. I'm sure many had food in their homes that could have lasted them had it not been for the flood. Perhaps they were disabled, weak, elderly...I don't know what else...and could not gather/salvage the food in time to carry to higher ground or it was too heavy to carry to higher ground. And those who did have cans of food and bottles of water that they took with them most likely may have shared those rations (I'm sure a can of peaches can go a long way if rationed among a group of people). I'm willing to bet we're going to hear stories of people who gave up their last can of tuna, green beans, or whatever sustenance they had to someone who was not so lucky to have it.

WHY? Because they probably had no idea aid would take that long to get there (no blame, just stating what I feel was the thinking there -- "Help is coming") and that they could give up their last can of food and go a day without. I couldn't see sitting there in the Superdome, savoring a slab of Spam on Tuesday while someone else weaker, older, or younger than I was starving. What little food they had to go around, people probably shared. Just a morsel or bite can make a difference.

Don't assume that EVERY ONE of those evacuees was not prepared, if even in some small way. They thought they'd survived the storm, but then the levees broke and the water came. They had to get out, especially in the 9th ward where the waters hit first. Sure, maybe some didn't grab what they should have for whatever reason (like I said, most likely they were not as able-bodied as you and I). Some of them probably were, but rather than save food, they saved loved ones lives.

Maybe they didn't evacuate like they should have. Maybe not all of them were prepared. But I'm sure many had food in their kitchens already and got it if they could...and shared it (although there were probably the few selfish ones too). I honestly cannot and will not believe that none of them were prepared or that we can blame them for not trying to survive. We haven't heard all their stories yet. We simply don't know.

[ncbird]

Save the "no money" justifications. Canned foods and bottled water are some of the cheapest items you can get.

GRRRRRRRR........

I can't help but want to pull my hair out when I see these kind of statements. Sure those who can should take care of themself, but many many of these people were poor...

Here is real life for many and yes in our county:

Mom drops her 3 kids off to sitter and goes to her waitress job. Gets off, counts her tips, puts aside the money for the sitter and stops at the food store to get dinner. Gets home makes dinner and feeds the children. Mom doesn't eat cause if she does there won't be enough to give the children enough for their 1 severing. One of them asks for more and mom has to tell them sorry sweetie thats all there was. Mom goes into the other room and cries cause she knows her children are still hungry.

DO YOU THINK THIS PERSON IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND BUY BOTTLED WATER AND CANNED FOOD FOR SEVERAL DAYS!!!!!!!

[gratefulnole]

New Orleans flooded over the night Monday night. many went to be bed believing they had made it through the worst only to wake up to rising water in their house. Those people main concern was not to drown at that point and probably panicing so the didn't stop in the kitchen to grab supplies. Also alot of those rescued fom roofs are from St. Bernard Parish not New Orleans, they got hit hard by the storm surge.
Sure alot of these people could have/should have evacuated or been better prepared but there still are tens of thousands of others who were unable/incapable. This is the greatest country on this planet there is no excuse for being insensitive to those less fortunate. Katrina was too powerful for any city to handle on there own and affected a huge area of se Louisiana. The mayor of New Orleans has no responsiblity or authority over the million people that live outside New Orleans in the metroplotin area. The gov't of Louisiana is more culpable than anybody for this situation and the Governor should have immediatley asked the feds to takeover after the levees broke.
I am actually more amazed by the amount of people in Mississppi who stayed in evacuation areas that had been wiped by Camielle when in the face of a cat. 5 hurricane.

[mijakamaj]

Transportation was provided to a FEW. There were not even barely enough buses and other transportation provided to help even 5% of the people who could not leave the city. And I mean COULD not. 80 people were just found dead in a NURSING HOME (see thread here). From drowning in flood waters form the levee break. You think the people in the nursing home bloody well had any ability to get themselves out of New Orleans???

The people that are dying because OUR GOVERMENT is failing them are the poorest of the poor who were NOT given any options, the sick, the injured, the disabled - people in hospitals, nursing homes, people in wheelchairs and oxygen tanks. People who can't care for themselves and who the local, state and national government had the responsibility to take care of. These are the majority of the people who are dying and suffering horribly.

STOP BLAMING THE PEOPLE.

It is SICKENING.

Why weren't the people in the nursing homes evacuated? Was there no plan for them? That's not the government's fault. That's the nursing home administration's fault.

Why were evacuations and rescues halted? Was it because of the government or because of the idiots shooting at the government workers AND civilian voulunteers doing the rescuing? Is it the government's fault too that these same types of people are murdering and raping survivors?

The President declared states of emergency for the states affected BEFORE the storm hit thus clearing the way for federal aid to begin immediately following the storm.

The President and another official with the NHC had to call the mayor and tell him to issue an evacuation. Common sense would tell you if you were the mayor to something other than consult with attorneys if your city was under an imminent threat. Common sense would tell you job be damned and get the people to safety using any means available, especially knowing you had such a large population of sick, poor and needy folks.

Our government was prepared and is helping these people. The state & local governments of LA is who failed their citizens.

I find it strange some of the people had no way out of town when threatened with such a disaster but have found a way of getting around to terrorize, loot, kill and rape afterwards.