Difference between the fires and Katrina

[hiwaygal]

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency.

That's their job.

From the FEMA website:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is the agency responsible for responding to national disasters and for helping state and local governments and individuals prepare for emergencies.

Yes they failed in their purpose. Too many people did not prepare. Perhaps we can create legislation FORCING people to prepare?

 

[Princess_Michelle]

I'm unsubscribing too...all this is, is a bunch of people who don't have the slightest clue or experience about what they are talking about, trashing people who DO have experience with what they are talking about. It's dumb, and pointless.

 

[JMD]

It's amazing that there are people who still think the people in NO had all the time in the world to leisurely make their way up to safety.
And in response to those who keep insisting these people were stupid to stay, when, for years, it's been drummed into their head that they are safe and well protected and the levees will not fail, then to suddenly be told no, sorry, we made a mistake you HAVE to evacuate now, well....I would be a bit confused also as to what to do. Add to that, no car, no money, can't take your pets, afraid of what others might do to your property if you leave, etc. I can totally see why a lot of them stayed put. And I think it's sad that there seems to be this undercurrent that they got what they deserved because they chose to stay.

I agree, I would probably have stayed too. The difference is I would take responsibility for my own actions. If I chose to stay, any reprecussions from that decision would be on my shoulders. The last place I would look to place blame would be the government.

 

[Belle1962]

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency.

That's their job.

and to finish the sentence "That's their job.......once they are called upon BY THE STATE for assistance." The same people who love to bash FEMA for their so called lack of response will be the first ones SCREAMING their fool heads off about States rights when the Feds go in without an "invite" from the State and "trample" over them. This battle was fought over 100 years ago and more recently after 9/11--the first level of response lies with your local governments. Pay more attention to your local elections folks--THEY are your first responders and need to have the intelligence and foresight to call in the Feds when needed.

 

[JMD]

That's the percentage of Planet Bush residents who still support him.

So you divide every arguement into 2 groups: Those that approve of Bush and those that don't?

Not only is that irrelevant, but its ridiculous as well.

 

[JMD]

I'm unsubscribing too...all this is, is a bunch of people who don't have the slightest clue or experience about what they are talking about, trashing people who DO have experience with what they are talking about. It's dumb, and pointless.

Welcome to the DIS Boards.

 

[LakeAriel]

Shame on her!

 

[Mr Man]

Shame on her!

QUOTE]


And bless the Coast Guard officers who helped her as part of the rescue effort organized by those "Ogres" FEMA.....

 

[LakeAriel]

Shame on her!

QUOTE]


And bless the Coast Guard officers who helped her as part of the rescue effort organized by those "Ogres" FEMA.....

Yes bless him.

 

[hiwaygal]

Perhaps if the thousands of others who COULD have left did, she would have been helped sooner. The world will never know.

Of course, it IS easier to just blame someone else.

 

[LakeAriel]

Perhaps if the thousands of others who COULD have left did, she would have been helped sooner. The world will never know.

Of course, it IS easier to just blame someone else.

No one said she didn't get help quickly. It was said though that these people who stayed brought this on themselves. I can see this woman carrying 5 gallons of water to the Superdome, right? She'd be dead. Good thing she wasn't able to evacuate.

There is blame to go around , as I have said many times. However, too many refuse to place any blame on the place the "buck stops". The decider, George Walker Bush.

It was one of the most embarrassing events of his presidency.

 

[Charade]

Shame on her!

Huh? Was she magically wisked away by an angel? Of course she was. It was a Coast Guard angel.

And of course people like her and her condition ARE NOT THE ONES (at least I) we are talking about. Talk about not seeing the gray areas that you proclaim the right does not see.

 

[pooh6890]

I lost everything in Hurricane Andrew. We had a few days to get ready. Was I prepared? As best as I felt I could be. We had water, batteries, canned food, etc. It all blew away. I lost my home, belongings, everything. My family and I were safe though and that was what was important. I learned a valuable lesson through all of this. I needed to be responsible for myself and my family. I can't depend on the government, state or federal. Thank goodness I am in a position to do that. Not everyone is so lucky. Until you walk in someone's shoes, you really don't know what it's like.

 

[LakeAriel]

Huh? Was she magically wisked away by an angel? Of course she was. It was a Coast Guard angel.

And of course people like her and her condition ARE NOT THE ONES (at least I) we are talking about. Talk about not seeing the gray areas that you proclaim the right does not see.

Read all the posts. I addressed the lack of compassion for these very people and all I got was excuses why it wasn't the governments responsibilty. Bull!

 

[eclectics]

I agree, I would probably have stayed too. The difference is I would take responsibility for my own actions. If I chose to stay, any reprecussions from that decision would be on my shoulders. The last place I would look to place blame would be the government.

I'm getting the impression you think I only want to blame the Feds. I don't. Nagin and the other local and state officials acted like morons. It was a joint effort in stupidity. Regardless of who these trapped people were and why they stayed, they deserved to be treated better than they did. Period.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Perhaps if the thousands of others who COULD have left did, she would have been helped sooner. The world will never know.

Of course, it IS easier to just blame someone else.

Our home and area took a hit from Isabel. We had 80 mile per hour winds here. Not nearly what hit NOLA. They told us to fill our tubs with water etc. I was home alone. I watched the news, filled my tub with water for flushing the toilet, stored other water, had previously bought Ice for the freezer and fridge and water for me to drink, I had my propane tanks filled and food that I could grill. I also own a generator and had all the gas cans full of gas. I knew it was coming and I was prepared. All of the stuff I bought was used when the power went out or later after everything was back to normal. DH and I knew that we could be hit by a hurricane, so we built our home with hurricane ties (only cost about $50 for the entire house) and installed them ourselves. Other than an object puncturing our siding our home was untouched. Not all of our neighbors could say the same. I also called our neighbors and told them to come here if they needed to. Some neighbors said they should have. We lost almost 10 30 foot trees in our yard and our pet was so scared she injured her eye. I called the vet and they said to bring her in the next morning. I was driving in fields etc. to avoid the downed trees in the road. She was blind in her eye so the vet removed it. Then we made the long trip home. That afternoon the neighbor and I pulled down all the trees and put them in our woods. When DH got back from his business trip he said that we must not have gotten it bad. He quickly realized that was not true. I never had any help from anybody but my neighbor. I did not need FEMA or the state to help. I took matters into my own hands.

If more people did this then the ones who really could not help themselves would get the help they needed faster.

 

[ToriLammy]

Shame on her!

Wait I thought the government was not there, isn't that a military uniform on that guy? US Coast Guard helicopter? Damn, I keep hearing the government did nothing yet here is a picture of them rescueing someone the local and state governments abandoned.

 

[hiwaygal]

There is blame to go around , as I have said many times. However, too many refuse to place any blame on the place the "buck stops". The decider, George Walker Bush.

And too many push the blame so far away that it becomes outlandish.

When you stub your toe on a curb, who do you blame? The owner of the building? How about the contractor who built it? Or the developer who financed it? Or the architect that designed it? Or do you just decide that maybe you need to pick up your own feet?

You want to blame the government for a slow response. But where were the preparations of the state and local government? ANYONE who lives in an area that is prone to these kinds of disasters knows about the disasters and response times and what should be done to prepare. Yes the government is slow. I'm not sure why anyone is or was surprised by that or expected anything better.

 

[What the Heck]

Shame on her!

Of course that's a state Coast Guard because everyone knows that the Federal Government didn't do anything for weeks after Katrina.

You had Democrat after Democrat wailing "where are the feds" as the US Coast Guard and Navy made sortie after sortie.

 

[Charade]

Read all the posts. I addressed the lack of compassion for these very people and all I got was excuses why it wasn't the governments responsibilty. Bull!

I have read all the posts. I didn't see anyone express a lack of compasion for people like the woman in the photo. If you did, you're really much more jaded than I thought.

So just to I fully understand your position on who should be responsible for whom.

The people that should be FIRST responsible for me in times of emergency is as follows:

1) The Government

2) Everyone else

3) Me