This disaster is proving to be bigger than 9/11 and in fact, the largest disaster in US history… so why leave the displaced evacuees fighting over space on the Astrodome floor? We are talking a city and surrounding area of over 1 million people who need to be relocated! Is Reliant Stadium off limits because it is shiny and new or because of the revenue from upcoming NFL games? The NFL postponed part of their season in response to 9/11 and it directly affected a small percentage of those lives destroyed in New Orleans.
We have domed stadiums, convention centers, warehouses, military bases, etc. all over this country and we have armed guards turning away refugees from the Astrodome. This is shameful.
Sure, I am disgusted by the looting and other lawlessness but we are watching it all on TV while eating our dinner and then sleeping in air-conditioned comfort. I wonder if we had to spend FOUR DAYS without food, clean water, a dry place to sit – how many of us would break into a convenience store and grab some Cheetos and Snicker’s bar? I know I would.
Don’t get me wrong – the people grabbing TV’s, watches, Nikes and the like should be strung up by their nards! If ever there was a case for martial law in an area – New Orleans is it!
The response by our government has been underwhelming at best. Sending blankets, water and a few troops to protect the police? All the able bodied people should already have been bussed out to other parts of the country – there is no reason why there should not have been hundreds and hundreds of busses loading people around the clock already. There are millions of square feet of shelter available throughout just the southern states – and it is all controlled by business and/or goverments.
We keep hearing of corporate America stepping up to the plate and giving millions of dollars… and that is great and will be needed after the crisis is solved. $4 million to rebuild hospitals in New Orleans does nothing for the current situation though. Right now, we need to get those people out of that area and attempt to get their lives back in order. This is not a situation where they will sit in a shelter for a few days and go home – their lives in New Orleans are OVER. It is time for them to get healthy, reconnect with family, and integrate themselves into the rest of the country.
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