America - Take Note
While our fellow American's from the Gulf Coast area are trying to survive and the rest of America is stepping up to do what we do best in times of need, we all must ask the question -- What if something happened in our neighborhood that would require mass evacuation? After 9/11 detailed hearings were held by Congress and extensive investigations were had to uncover the breaking points in our national support infrastructure as well as provide recommendations to the White House on how to improve our systems. What has happened?
If this were a bio-terrorist attack on a town in the US that would require a similar level of evacuation, how many would die if our government's response would be as it has been in the affected areas of the Gulf Coast. In 2005 in one of the oldest, most historic cities in America, US citizens are dying and their bodies are not even being properly disposed of. Five days into this current disaster and we still have Americans stranded on rooftops in New Orleans with no water or food and no way to get to safety. Four days into the disaster and the head of the government's (FEMA) effort did not even know that there were tens of thousands of people stranded at the New Orleans convention center. Harry Connick Jr, CNN and other media outlets have been able to make their way into the bowels of the city, talk to the survivors and get their equipment there to film the situation yet the United States Government suggested that they couldn't get supplies to those who needed it because they couldn't move around the city.
Attribute it to race and poverty, call it unexpected consequences, call it what you may, but the bottom line is we've been let down and we're in danger. Our Government has said time and again that they are protecting us against terrorism and that we're safer today than we were before 9/11. A true test of this has happened this past week and we've failed. If what we've been told is true about our preparedness in the case of a significant terrorist attack, then the plans, systems, people and processes should have already been in place in New Orleans to save lives and protect our our fellow Americans.
Not only has our support and rescue infrastructure broken down, but our resources are drained. President Bush and Congress CONSCIOUSLY excluded funding for research and investment to protect and re-enforce the levees in New Orleans. Some people have suggested that the residents of New Orleans have to take some of the responsibility for not leaving earlier when they were advised of the hurricane coming. What this perspective ignores is the fact that more than a third of New Orleans citizens live well below the poverty line and have no means of transportation. How were these people supposed to pack up their belongings and leave? Again, where was the government? Blame the Mayor? How could he do more than he was able to when the Federal Government actually cut funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to maintain the levees in his city?
Tax Cuts, Privatization of Social Security, War on Terror, Office of Homeland Security -- can someone please tell me how these have made us a safer nation?
