Katrina: Two Years Later

legion · 12:56 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20070828/us_time/healingkatrinasracialwounds

Quote:

While Katrina made victims of just about everyone in New Orleans, poor black residents have had the hardest time restoring their lives, with many evacuees still living outside the city and others in FEMA trailers, waiting for promised help to arrive. "I don't think African-Americans are paranoid in believing that they have suffered in ways that white people didn't," Hill says. "But the prevailing conventional wisdom among white people in New Orleans is that African- Americans had no grievances since Katrina, they didn't suffer any kind of special discrimination in the rescue and recovery, and that there is no merit to their claims that poor African-Americans were being locked out of the city and being deprived of their fundamental rights - that those were all paranoid delusions."

This paragraph seems to imply that someone else is responsible for getting these people's lives back on track, and all they are doing is waiting until "promised help" arrives. I'm sorry that bad things happen to people, but I don't see how it is my responsibility. Conversely, I don't expect help from other people when bad things happen to me.

Quote:

"This is a wholly preventable crisis. It does not have to happen," he says. "If the federal government, which is the only entity that has the resources we need to fix the problems that we have - if they swiftly and effectively begin to address the issues of housing and joblessness and lack of health care, it would pull the rug out from under racial resentment. People would not feel abandoned, and they wouldn't feel as if they had to turn to extreme politics to achieve their ends, both blacks and whites."

So, the city's lack of personal responsibility is the federal government's problem? I should quit my job and start whining about poor housing and healthcare. What do you expect when you're not paying for it?

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

Don't you know, it's all our fault...

Rick Lee · Rick Lee's Garage

I think it's all Ray Nagin's fault. He'd be out of issues to discuss if things got better. What a raging a$shole that guy is.

Rot 911 · 08-28-2007, 01:13 PM

I agree it is not the fed's responsibility. On the other hand why will we go to Iraq and rebuild their country, but not take care of our own?

Neilk · 08-28-2007, 01:14 PM

I think the local, state and federal governments screwed up initially, but I find it incredible that two years later, people are still "waiting for promised help to arrive". Get off your asses and do something.

I was so infuriated that people were complaining 6 months ago that their hotel benefits were running out, apparently 18 months wasn't enough time to find new housing. Just annoying.

Neilk · 08-28-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt V

I agree it is not the fed's responsibility. On the other hand why will we go to Iraq and rebuild their country, but not take care of our own?

Well we didn't bomb the hell out of New Orleans...

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-28-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by legion

This paragraph seems to imply that someone else is responsible for getting these people's lives back on track, and all they are doing is waiting until "promised help" arrives. I'm sorry that bad things happen to people, but I don't see how it is my responsibility. Conversely, I don't expect help from other people when bad things happen to me.

and yet you feel it is your responsibility to bring democracy to Iraq, a country that clearly doesn't want it, and you don't mind paying for it with US Treasure, blood and paper alike.

frogger · 08-28-2007, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilk

Well we didn't bomb the hell out of New Orleans...

One could argue that the Army Corps. of Engineers did the next best thing to that.

Superman · 08-28-2007, 01:44 PM

There isn't housing to "find" in New Orleans. If any becomes available, it won't be "found" as much as it will be "built."

Superman · 08-28-2007, 02:01 PM

There isn't housing to "find" in New Orleans. If any becomes available, it won't be "found" as much as it will be "built."

So......when communities in the United States are devastated.....when they are leveled by an act of God.........it is just too bad? If a community just does not have the resources to rebuild, then we just leave those town lying on the ground and the residents (former residents) just need to move to some other community? You guys' "everyone fend for themselves" concept is just very conveniently........simple. And of course, it eschews the notion that we might be able to basically "self-insure" by committing to help our communities in this situation so that they can hope to rebuild and start over. That's expensive? Okay, let's say there were no FEMA. No federal assistance. Heck, let's give you guys an ideological orgasm and assume there are no state or local funds either. When a community is hit by a flood or a tornado or hurricane......that community is demolished and its residents are simply (you like simple, right?) homeless. Is this less expensive for you and I? All those tens of thousands of homeless folks in NO two years ago rambling across the United States looking for ways to survive. That's inexpensive?

sammyg2 · 08-28-2007, 02:03 PM

Maybe if they got off their lazy a$$es and did something for themselves instead of crying and b!tching about having to wait for someone else to do something for them they wouldn't still be in this situation.
I have no sympathy for them at all. Eventually they have to put in some effort of their own. Everything I have I earned. If I want something bad enough I work my butt off to get it. If I didn't know how I learned. I suggest they do the same. Of course if the knew how to work hard they would have never been in this mess in the first place.

As far as New Orleans is concerned, they should not have spent a penny rebuilding it. The entire city should have been condemned and plowed under.
Not only is it a modern sodom and gomorrah, it is built below sea level with only dirt walls to protect it from the sea. Stupid design, stupid idea, rebuilding it so it can flood it again is absolutely moronic. Unless they can figure out an economic way to raise the entire city about 40 feet it should be wiped off the map.

Since we had to throw Iraq into this conversation the poor people of New orleans will not attack us, all they will do is try and bleed us dry through welfare and hand outs.
The middle east is a different story. The instability over there is a threat to our national security. The president's number one responsibility is to protect the country and it's citizens from threats internal and abroad.
Apples to oranges.

Superman · 08-28-2007, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Since we had to throw Iraq into this conversation the poor people of New orleans will not attack us, all they will do is try and bleed us dry through welfare and hand outs.
The middle east is a different story. The instability over there is a threat to our national security. The president's number one responsibility is to protect the country and it's citizens from threats internal and abroad.
Apples to oranges.

This is at once both hilarious and pathetic. First, the notion that Iraqis are a threat to United States security. I'll leave that one alone for now. Then there is the theory that clobbering terrorists is a good way to protect our national security. Again, I'll let that one go. But here, above, we've got somebody concluding that you and I should be paying trillions on construction half way around the world to benefit Iraqis, but not in the center of the United States to benefit Americans. Actually, it is far more pathetic than hilarious.

Superman · 08-28-2007, 02:16 PM

By the way, and I wonder how many people know this, one of the reasons NO has not been rebuilt more than it has......is because they don't have the construction workers there who can do the job. I won't go into all the reasons why, but I just wonder if anyone understands the crisis there. If NO is going to get rebuilt, it will be rebuilt by travelling construction workers who are there specifically for those construction jobs. It won't be rebuilt by the people who are there now.

stomachmonkey · 08-28-2007, 02:22 PM

So all the residents of NO need to do is attack us?

Dantilla · 08-28-2007, 02:50 PM

Okay, guys. I have been to New Orleans twice since Katrina as part of a construction crew to help with hurricaine relief.

From what I have personally observed, there are two distinct groups of people.

Our group got hooked up with a lady who lives in NO who schedules groups of volunteers to stay in a church that has been converted to temporary housing. Her phone is still ringing off the hook with groups who want to help. She has to find openings in her schedule to try to accomodate all who want to help. These volunteers are primarily church groups. "Let's see.... The Baptists will be here the week prior, and the Catholics are coming two weeks later. We can squeeze you in between them."

There are people, a whole bunch of them, who have a positive attitude, and are rebuilding with the help of plenty of volunteers.

Then there is another group, still complaining that the government has failed them. This second group has accomplished nothing.

SlowToady · 08-28-2007, 03:05 PM

Spike Lee would disagree with you...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilk

Well we didn't bomb the hell out of New Orleans...

sammyg2 · 08-28-2007, 03:12 PM

Please excuse me for a moment while i kick myself in the butt for bothering to read one of superman's posts.

Superman · 08-28-2007, 03:38 PM

Some Americans are not running scared, Sammy.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-28-2007, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

So all the residents of NO need to do is attack us?

Scott, what if I attacked your house on LI? Think the government would pay for it's rebuild freeing you up to move to TX a little faster?

I can't attack this weekend, but may be free next. LMK.

Shaun @ Tru6 · 08-28-2007, 03:51 PM

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/28/green.update/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Every day, twice a day, the tourists come. They smile -- striking poses on the severed porch just yards from where Robert Green says Ditty died with his two kids strapped to his chest.
art.house.jpg

Seems that man thought he could save his babies from the 20-foot current that surged onto Tennessee Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, after a levee broke during Hurricane Katrina. But he couldn't.

Clean up crews found the three mummified bodies months later. The folks whipping out cameras likely don't know about Ditty. But Robert Green does. It's his street. Ditty was his neighbor. It's part of his story.

....