Personal Responsibility

[Laura]

Should the rescuers ask the people sitting on their roofs why they didn't get the heck outta Dodge?

 

[wdw4us2]

Should the rescuers ask the people sitting on their roofs why they didn't get the heck outta Dodge?

Heck, no. It's after the fact and won't help anyone.

I was just curious as to what plans local and state officials in New Orleans and Louisiana had in place ahead of time. I don't remember seeing much on the news about it before Katrina hit.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Slightly off topic, but I have been haunted by this young couple I saw on the Weather Channel Sunday night, tourists, who wanted to see what a hurricane was like. I was irritated at the time, but find myself praying extra hard for their safety and well-being. They were only in their early 20's, with their lives ahead of them.

 

[DVC Kathy]

As you can tell, I don't post very often, but this thread really got to me. As things got worse and worse on Monday, and reports came in about people trapped on their attics or roofs, I was angry and frustrated that they didn't take advantage of the busses that were reportedly taking people to shelter at the Superdome. I was angry and frustrated that they risked their lives gambling that things would be okay.

That was my knee jerk reaction. It didn't take into account the elderly and infirm, those who were desperately afraid they would lose everything if they evacuated, or even the fact that those busses may not have gotten to all the people who may have wanted to be evacuated.

How much suffering do these people have to endure before they are forgiven their error in judgement? They have lost their homes and most likely everything they own. In many cases they have lost family or friends. They have lost their jobs, their support systems. They have lost their cities, towns, and neighborhoods.

It makes me sick to think about it, and I'm far away, safe and dry. I can't begin to imagine how they feel as they wait for help.

The United States has no experience in dealing with a disaster of this magnitude. I'm not a huge supporter of the current administration, but the first time you deal with any huge problem you are learning as you go along. Things could have been handled better, from the people who didn't evacuate all the way up the line to FEMA. Let's not waste energy placing blame. Let's put that energy into saving those people and cleaning up the mess that Katrina left behind.

Kathy

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't recall if this determination was made in NO. Does NO have an emergency plan like this?

In a word--no they didn't. The Mayor had to "get permission" to call for a mandatory evac. They have never had one in their history including Betsy and Camille.

However--with all those poor....you have authorities in your town in ratio to the population. Even if they did have a door to door plan.....the very size of the city--there just isn't enough personnel.

 

[jonestavern]

by your logic, we should abandon NO because of potential flooding...Los Angeles because of earth quakes...NYC because of terrorism...Miami because of hurricanes...Chicago because of snow and cold...Hawii because of tsunamis...Phoenix because of the heat...
there's no "safe place" to live on the entire planet, I'm thinking.
a lot of people simply couldn't get out before the storm. others didnt realize what was coming.
all right...some were downright stupid
but we are a society that takes care of its weakest members. we pride ourselves on being a community. if we don't take care of our own...what are we?

Well said Lessa of Pern!
How many of you know that a major faultline runs from the state of Missouri right up through the eastern US?
don't forget the states subject to widespread fires & the ensuing mud slides--the tornado 'belt'--the whole Northeast is overdue for a killer hurricane--ice storms in the north & northeast--
the Pres has just admitted the rescue effort has not been what it should have been-
DVC Kathy you've got it right! Well put!
it does smell a little troll-ish, doesn't it???

Jean

 

[Fishbone†]

If I were being brutally honest, I have to tell you, my heart breaks for these people. I can't even begin to imagine the fear and despair they must feel. I imagine the hopelessness is overwhelming.... however, as sick as you are of hearing them being blamed for not leaving, I am just as sick of hearing people blame the government, the city officials and the police for their tragic circumstances. Don't get me wrong, I am not blaming the elderly, the sick, or even the poor for the devastation they've endured. If they couldn't evacuate for some reason, then they are a victim of a terrible natural disaster. I am just sick to death of hearing "What is the city going to do??" "No one is telling me what to do." "Why aren't they helping us??" And my favorite... "Bush isn't doing anything..... Bush is to blame.... why wasn't there a plan in place?" MY GOODNESS people..... No one had any idea of the magnitude of this event.... the President isn't some kind of fortune teller... he's not God, and he didn't wake up one day last week and say "Gosh, I wonder how I could devastate a part of the country and set a National Crisis in motion??" HONESTLY!!! "Bush is such an idiot for not having a plan in place"...... yeah, well here's a news flash for you: NO has existed on a flood plain for a number of years.... well before the Bush administration. And even more shocking, hurricanes have been a natural phenomenon for even longer. The potential for this has existed forever..... who's ultimate responsibilty is it to have a plan in place?? Why didn't Clinton put one in place?? Or Bush Sr.??? Reagan??? JFK?? Carter?? FDR??? All I'm saying is, this could have happened at any time previously, and the results would have been the similar.

People are trying to help.... they are trying to get them water.... they would love to rescue them, but not only are they dealing with an overwhelming task, they are also having to police these horrible low-lifes who are looting, raping, killing, and destroying anything and everything. What's happening is a nightmare, magnified by the savages who've created a warzone. I have no sympathy for them.... I'm sorry, but anyone who would do that to their fellow neighbor is worthless to me. There is no amount of despair and anger that excuses that for me. The innocent will die because of these selfish rogues....

I can't imagine what it must be like to feel as if you may die of hunger, dehydration, drowning or disease, but this is no one's fault. It's a natural disaster, and it could happen anywhere in whatever way... Earthquake, Volcano, Tornado, Tsunami...... I just wish people would use their energies to work together instead of placing blame and looking to someone else for the answers.

I feel a lot more for these people than this.... I'm not disgusted with them and I certainly don't blame them. My heart breaks for them.... I have donated what I can, and I am praying for them. And yes, I am a Christian. I don't feel any less love or caring towards these people.... They have lost their city, their possesions, their friends and family, their jobs and well-being, they have nothing - that's hard even comprehend. I just had to voice my opinion about the blame. Stop blaming, and start helping. If you don't like the current plan.... come up with something better. This isn't a card tower that fell down.... It's an entire city destroyed.

God bless the people of NO, and may those who have survived so far escape this with their lives intact. And may we all work together to help these people instead of adding ******* to the problem.

I'm sure I shouldn't be sending this, as it's probably mostly a vent... spurred by a lot of emotion in the light of all we've seen and heard this week, but so be it.

 

[tar heel]

It would be so easy for me to sit here in my middle class life and bash people who haven't had the opportunities I've had. How could I possibly know what it would be like to grow up poor in a city below sea level where all my family had lived for generations -- since some of them were slaves? I don't know, but I suspect my decision making might be different than it is.

 

[RickinNYC]

To the OP, nice sentiments. Stay in your dry home and be smug this hasn't happened to you. Your sentiments are absolutey disgusting.

And Dadtowhatever... you're right, it's not the PC thing to say right now. But it's clear given your post that you agree him/her. No surprise whatsoever.

 

[LoraJ]

What they said, except Lora who seems to have an issue with christians. Considering the churches are feeding and sheltering, I think that is pretty rude.

As for paying for it, I will survive paying more for a bit. I am just truly thankful to be in a place of giving aid, rather than desperately needing aid.

I don't have an issue with most Christians. I have an issue with people who claim to be Christians yet have no sympathy for people who are suffering right now.

 

[swilphil]

There is a lot of blame flying around here. But where is the personal responsiblilty. People chose to live by the ocean, below sea level in a bowl. And they chose not to evacuate, when many of them could. How many idiots were on the telly joking about riding it out? But it is all the national government job/responsiblity to tidy up. And we are all paying for it.

Blaming the President, or anyone on a national level is just plain ignorance. People need to be thankful for the assistance being give, instead of griping that it is not enough.

But blaming the victims is okay? As others have pointed out many of these people didn't have the means to evacuate or any place to go. I've never heard the people staying behind were given a number to call so they could get assistance.

Nobody said the people affected by last year's hurricanes in Florida needed to take personal responsibility. PLENTY of federal money went to assist them, and rightly so.

 

[dadtoagirl]

To the OP, nice sentiments. Stay in your dry home and be smug this hasn't happened to you. Your sentiments are absolutey disgusting.

And Dadtowhatever... you're right, it's not the PC thing to say right now. But it's clear given your post that you agree him/her. No surprise whatsoever.

It wasn't meant to surprise your rockyinNYC.

 

[RickinNYC]

It wasn't meant to surprise your rockyinNYC.

Considering your other post about a dying baby and whatnot, absolutely nothing you can post will ever surprise anyone any longer.

It's very, very clear where you stand.

 

[dadtoagirl]

Considering your other post about a dying baby and whatnot, absolutely nothing you can post will ever surprise anyone any longer.

It's very, very clear where you stand.

Good, hope you've made yourself feel great "outing me" to the fact that I think people should take some some responsiblity for themselves vs. expecting others to do it for them. I'd hate to think we are capable of independent thought or action. Back to our regularly scheduled program.

 

[RickinNYC]

Great, we are all clear then!

Crystal baby. There's is NO question about you.

Well, one question, but I won't go there.

 

[dadtoagirl]

Crystal baby. There's is NO question about you.

Well, one question, but I won't go there.

Don't think there are many places you won't go?

 

[meandtheguys2]

Good grief! You all sound like a couple of 5th graders on the playground!

 

[dadtoagirl]

Good grief! You all sound like a couple of 5th graders on the playground!

I know you are but what am I?

Back to the regularly scheduled program.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I know you are but what am I?

Back to the regularly scheduled program.

Good golly, the world is stressful right now!