September 1, 2005

As many others, I have been watching the news channels about Katrina's aftermath.

At this point, thousands of people appear to be dead, and thousands more are begging for help. I don't say "demanding", because I don't think they know what's happened to the whole area. With no TV... no radio... no electricity... how can they know that Katrina destroyed so much? And, as they keep saying, Katrina's landfall wasn't the end of the disaster. After Katrina left, levees in New Orleans were breached, flooding the city. I haven't even included the storm surge (the December 2004 Sumatra Tsunami that devastated so much was just as high), the fact that most of New Orleans is under sea level and between a lake and a river, etc. Then there were the other major cities, ports, smaller towns and areas destroyed, where people did NOT believe Katrina would directly hit. Remember... It was being reported that Katrina would probably make a direct hit on New Orleans. They (N.O.) weren't even in the middle of it. Other towns are completely gone. Biloxi and Gulfport, MS to name the major cities. Remember also, that Katrina (though much smaller) passed over Southern Florida as a Category 1 and 2 Hurricane. This is equivalent to many of the tornadoes that rip through Indiana and the Midwest, and she killed 11 people there.

So much of the area, where all the aid would be staged from was destroyed/damaged. A FEMA member just said they finally (after over 72 straight hours of work) got an airport nearby open and the electricity there restored, so they can start strategic airlifts of food, water and medical supplies in to the area, and people out. A lady who had gotten to the New Orleans convention center just said that they can drop food and water into Iraq and other places... Why can't they do it here? BUT... As in Iraq and other areas where we've airdropped food and water and medical supplies, who really gets them? The strong. Who really needs them? The weak. There are assholes out there shooting at the rescue and media helicopters, police and others. Hmmm... I wonder what those idiots would do and who they would shoot if food, water and medical supplies WERE airdropped? In other words, I understand the "refugees'" plight and anger. By the same token, if they would/could think for a moment, they may understand. That won't help the dehydration and starvation, but at least they may see that some people down there are worse off than they are.

The images of people being rescued are amazing... threading those drop baskets and people down and up through the mazes of electric lines, limbs, and debris... Then you think about the people that got into their attics, and that's as far as they could go. (I don't know if I could punch a hole through my roof, if I had to.) I say that for the people who didn't have the ability to evacuate when they could. While my heart goes out to the families of those lost who COULD have gotten out, but decided to "stick it out", I just don't feel as bad about them as I do the ones that were stuck there... those like the handicapped, in hospitals, nursing homes, had no other place (they could afford) to go, etc.

Then there are those that are looting... And not for food and water and supplies, but new clothes, shoes and electronics for God's sake! WHY? They don't have access to electricity, the clothes will be ruined shortly... Hey... I always wanted a big screen TV, too, but damned if my town were completely destroyed, I'd be more interested in things I need to SURVIVE, not X-Boxes, stereos, etc. But what was one of the first things taken by those "thinking"? A brand new Wal-Mart's gun department was completely decimated by looters. Not people who need the damn things for protection, but gangs. Hell, I heard a nursing home was about ready to bus the people in it out, when an armed gang came along and took the bus. Then people kept driving by yelling at them to "get out now". Bus drivers don't want to go into New Orleans, because they've been told it's dangerous. There are snipers shooting at vehicles and people. One helicopter couldn't get to the hospital roof because the helipad was covered with people with guns.

And, in many cases, the news people don't help. While we know people are desperate, they seem to show only the radicals. Those DEMANDING, not begging. Even the news people are asking why the people aren't getting food, water and supplies.

September 5, 2005

Ok... Finally, all the people at the Superdome and Convention Center (and the overpass) have been evacuated. Jesse Jackson is pissed they're being called "refugees". Technically, he's probably correct, but part of the definition (see www.dictionary.com) is "One who flees in search of refuge...", "An individual seeking refuge...", "An exile who flees for safety". This part fits. By the same token (and the same place "Evacuee" is "a person evacuated from a dangerous place". Until they were removed from New Orleans, they were Refugees. NOW they are evacuees. Get it, Jesse? They could also be considered "refugees in their own country". Ah, well.

I'm glad that other countries (real friends, contentious friends and even enemies) are willing to help. For God's Sake, even Sri Lanka, damaged so badly by the Tsunami last year is helping. Castro is ready to send 1100 doctors from Cuba. Venezuela (Pat Robertson said we should assassinate the leader) is opening fuel pipelines. Hell, even IRAN is helping! I worried that all the places we've helped in our (the USA's) lifetime would not help. Too bad Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Muslim extremists, and the Iraqi Insurgents would never at least call a Cease Fire for a time, and keep to it. (There are some al-Qaeda fanatics who right now are saying that Katrina is the "Hand of God", striking America for what we have done to the people of Iraq and to the Palestinians. So, don't count on it!)

In an email to family and friends, yesterday, I sent the following:

Also, in case you missed it, MSNBC reported today that the governor of Louisiana would NOT sign the papers necessary to allow the Feds to come in. She did NOT want to relinquish control of the police, etc. While I understand that to a certain extent, it was very obvious that they could not handle it themselves, and needed help. Nothing really happened until the National Guard was put in control. Within a day or so, all those people were evacuated from New Orleans. As I said in the email, above, it's time they authorize the rescuers to physically remove those who simply don't want to leave their homes. I understand their point of view... This is where they grew up (most of them)... These homes are their only "property", and they don't want to leave them. There was one older couple who were finally convinced to leave, but the wife kept harping at the husband to make sure the house was locked tight. Another, it was reported, was forced to leave, and once they got into the boat (and, I assume, could see how bad everything was), were resigned and grateful for the help. A gang of eight people were shooting at engineers trying to repair a bridge. GEEZE? Why? Police ended up killing 5-6 of them. We may never know.

A natural, national disaster. You know that Jesse Jackson, the NAACP and others will demand a major class-action lawsuit. Will they only cover the poor black people or will they also cover the poor whites? the poor Hispanics? Who do you sue? If you were saved, do you even have a right to sue? (Sure, but... ) If nothing else, a lawsuit will point out the shortcomings in the response. But what happens? FEMA is spending well over $500,000 a DAY to operate down there. Insurance and disaster aid are and will spend BILLIONS to repair replace the infrastructure, the homes, the vehicles and lives lost. Then someone is going to sue FEMA, the local, state and federal government for BILLIONS for (in some cases) perceived slights and damages, which will cost the Government(s) involved MILLIONS, if not more, to defend against. Think your taxes are high now? Point fingers... Blame... Force responses to questions... DEMAND to find out what went wrong... But remember, a lot DID go right, if slowly. (Since when has a bureaucracy run quickly? And we're talking hours, not weeks!)

The US has had a national disaster, the likes of which we've never had. Again, over 100 miles of shoreline, and 90,000 square miles affected. While this may be the fastest we could ever hope to get in to help in a disaster of this magnitude, I hope we learned some things. Politics be damned. Racism be damned. These are PEOPLE. If cities are to be evacuated in times of crisis, there should be ways to get those who cannot manage on their own out (Why were all those school buses parked (you've seen the picture)? Why weren't all of them used to bus more of the poor out of the area? Why haven't FEMA or the state governments where these types of disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes - the BIG one? - etc.) can occur set up places inland/away from the area to be affected like the ones in Houston being used AFTER the fact? Why CAN'T they use deserted armed forces bases to house these people before AND after the fact (dorms, married housing, mess halls, recreation areas gone to waste?) I realize that there is a cost involved in keeping these places running, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of rescuing those who can be, and recovering the bodies of those who couldn't, not to mention the actual number of people who could have been SAVED vs. those who died in the flooding down there. Hurricanes can hit anywhere on the East Coast. A few years ago, one almost hit Washington DC! While Congress and the House and the President and... The Government people will be protected by getting out, what about all those who can't for some reason? What if a Cat 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5, God forbid) hits New York/Manhattan/New Jersey area? How many will be able to get out? How many won't? What happens then? MILLIONS could be dead.

Scientists have reported that we are coming into a period of numerous large-scale hurricanes. One guy said that within 100 years, there will BE no New Orleans, if we don't do something. There's always the possibility of the "Big One" happening in California. And they will NOT be the only state affected. What happens if the New Madrid Fault (ends around Evansville, IN) lets go? They said, years ago, that it will be felt all the way to Indianapolis, and buildings there will be damaged.

Are we ready for another huge national disaster? We have and are learning a lot from Katrina. Hopefully, we learned the right things.

Have I rambled some in the above? I'm sure. Call it information overload. I'm also sure I repeated myself without citing the previous words. But, by the same token, I think you can see what I've said, why I believe it, etc. If you don't agree, respond.

by Bill Sanders © September 5, 2005 - email:
 

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