Did someone say Mardi Gras?...

[ranskye]

yes very bad, yes why does it take so long to get help over there.
anyone see the guy on the news yelling into the camera "wheres bush"
well maybe hes in church praying.

helicoptors and men-women are in another country fighting some war..over the weapons of mass destruction.. that werent found. but yes troops still there...

many billions of dollars and man power and resouces is being spent and sent elsewhere.
someone asked the government why it took so long and they said its not a time to put any blame on anyone. no accountability.

wonder if this lack of attention is related to the other post i see about OIL.hmm.

time to go the BIODEISEL!!! oh thats right bush and his friends like oil though.

[kingkong]

We are all in this together. Part of the problem is that we have drug addicts loosing their minds shooting at police. They seemed to have run out of heroin. I wonder where that comes from? And yes, I am ready to put soybeans in my Ford, just say the word.

[Dale Torok]

Quote: Originally Posted by koifishgirl I hate a theif, but if it was me and I thought I could get out and sell that darn TV and get me and my family or just even myself a bath some food and good nites sleep you darn right I would take the TV or anything else I could get.

The problem with what you are saying is that there isn't anyone they could sell the TV to to convert it to cash for food or a warm bath. A looter is a thief. Maybe the thief was held in check under normal conditions before the storm, but looting of TV's, appliances, high ticket items, etc. is labeling them for what they are...... a thief.

There is no electricity in the areas where the looting is going on. Who is there that would buy the television from this looter? A thief is a thief in normal conditions or in a disaster. One is no better than the other. There is no running hot water for a bath unless you leave the area. You can't buy one in New Orleans for any amount of money if you DID sell something you stole.

I don't have a problem with people entering grocery stores for bottled water, soft drinks, canned goods, etc. that they need to survive. If assistance for you has not arrived and you have hungry people, they need to use their wits to get necessities to survive. But it is possible to keep some respect for others and their property & to shame others that you see entering homes to loot them, stores, apartment buildings, etc.

My heart goes out to all the people who are suffering in that area. The minority of the people are the ones who are doing this, but they seem to get the maximum coverage from our sensasionalist news media. They are out there looking for anything they can find to shock you.

Dale

[ChrisC]

This kind of breakdown is typical in disaster areas. The stupid part of this seems to be the lack of coordination. The hospital ships needed left Virginia YESTERDAY and will not be in New Orleans until Thursday. Everyone knew that this kind of aid would be needed several days before the storm hit.

The next things we can expect are rampant illness from people walking in polluted water, spouse abuse, shortages of medical supplies and drugs for people who lost all of theirs, etc. Hope someone is on top of THAT.

The Federal government is responsible for disaster planning and execution of disaster plans and, in this case, the Federal government has failed miserably. I hope the accountable are held accountable and we collectively learn what we need to learn from this.

[mulberryjen]

Quote: Originally Posted by Dale Torok My heart goes out to all the people who are suffering in that area. The minority of the people are the ones who are doing this, but they seem to get the maximum coverage from our sensasionalist news media. They are out there looking for anything they can find to shock you. Dale

Thank you, Dale, well said. Mike and I were discussing the same exact issue last night after watching Dateline NBC, 20/20, and then the BBC World News coverage of Katrina. The straightforward delivery of the events in the Gulf Coast presented by the BBC news team was a welcome relief from the infotainment style journalism presented by some of our domestic stations. Sometimes I think that the media in our country has helped perpetuate the disconnect from reality that our nation suffers from on a massive scale.

The images of human suffering and appalling absence of large-scale intervention from our government brought me to tears as an American. There isn't always some "devil" to blame and smite for our problems. The divide in our country between economic classes has been exposed for entire world to see. I cannot say if race played a role in the federal goverment's lethargic response or not, but no one can deny that it certainly looks that way -regardless of the truth of the matter.

When I logged on to the Red Cross website it stated that they had not been allowed to go into New Orleans to provide relief as of yet. The government felt that people would not evacuate if they provided food and water to them. IF WE ARE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THEM ANY TRANSPORTATION TO EVACUATE FOR DAYS ON END, THEN WHY IN THE HELL AREN'T WE FEEDING PEOPLE?????????? It is inhumane. I am ashamed.

[Dale Torok]

Quote: Originally Posted by mulberryjen When I logged on to the Red Cross website it stated that they had not been allowed to go into New Orleans to provide relief as of yet.

Jen,

I saw a report where a Red Cross official stated that decision was made based on the reporting over and over by NBC News that rescue workers had been fired on in the downtown section of New Orleans. It was NOT something that was a problem throughout the city. It was an isolated incident that was the exception rather than the rule, but you wouldn't have known it listening to Katie and Matt that morning.

BTW, on looting..... I understand that every gun has been looted from the Walmart's and other stores with guns that could be broken into in the New Orleans area. I wonder who has these guns? Or if the people just wanted them and it was an easy way to get them. "Sure, let's just steal them, along with some TV's and anything else we can carry out of here!!!"

CNN reports that able bodied men have forced their way in lines past elderly, women & children to get on buses and planes at some of the evacuation points. I wonder if this is sensationalism or if a certain part of our population is made up of the kind of people who would do this? Looters and shovers and people who are all about 'ME' are standing in the way of the decent people who need and derserve all the help we can give them.

I'd like to pinch the heads off some of those idiots.

Dale

[kingkong]

I agree, cull the selfish out, big time. In the middle of the chaos and confusion at the airport sat a community of well mannered people allowing all the "me" people to run ahead. They were said to have been Vietnamese citizens sitting politely out of the way showing consideration for others as they allowed everyone else to leave first. That was a class gesture I thought.

[aquitori]

This just shows how the initial government infrastructure in local and state is built...I am sorry but they should have gotten off their asses a long time ago and stop blaming people for this mess...I hope and pray for the best for all those suffering.

[koifishgirl]

They are also taking cars and getting out with loads of things, and I bet they sell. They caught one family and I bet they will catch more. Im not a theif, but you put me in the aftermath and I could not say what I would do. Desperate people do stupid things. They see the law taking gas from others cars and they cant, whats right is right, Anything in that part if not taken out is not going to be any good anyways. Most of the police dont even care if they take it. Correct me if I am wrong but dont these stores carry insurance, and wont it be a total loss anyway? How many appliances will last in that kind of moisture? My guess is not many. I dont think Im in any place to judge others.

[koifishgirl]

Im sure people are taking guns if they dont have on because they will need it. Just think of what they are going through, snakes and all kinds of critter in that water and to keep others from taking from them. Here again I would get me one if I did not have one. Alagators are in that water to! If you think I have to survive alot of this makes sence.