Water Water Everywhere

Sorry for the dearth of new posts, but between the Labor Day Weekend (I actually had 48 hours-in-a-row off!) and being glued to Katrina coverage, I haven't really come up with much to add what's already been said elsewhere about Katrina. I consider myself to be up on what's going on in the world, but I'm well aware that this is not your 'go-to' blog for incisive social commentary. That being said, a few Gaper's Blog notes about Katrina's aftermath.

- No matter what you think of what Kanye West said on NBC Friday night, he is well within his rights as an American to say it. That is precisely what has bothered me most about not only Katrina coverage but with criticism about the Iraq War, that anyone who deviates from 'the script' is Un-American or at worst, treasonous. And I did see some of the captions Kanye spoke of and he was spot-on, the blacks were portrayed as looters and the whites were portrayed as scavangers.

- Stealing plasma TVs=looting,  stealing food=survival, breaking into your neighbor's house to steal their stuff=pathetic.

- Two New Orleans police officers have taken their own lives in the last week, ostensibly due to the horrors they've witnessed. A soldier who served two tours of duty in Iraq was asked upon returning to the States to be deployed to help in the search and recovery in the gulf coast. He said that Iraq was much easier to take than what he's seen thus far.

- My former neighbor was part of a coalition sent to N.O. to aid in the recovery effort. I hope that he's able to deal with the unfathomable things he'll likely witness.

- Do we need Dr. Phil or Oprah there?  If so, why? Anderson Cooper? Yes. Christianne Amanpour? Yes. Dr. Phil and Oprah, no. While I still stand by my admonition of a few months ago that there's no need for television reporters to be in the thick of an active hurricane, I have seen some truly moving and poignant reportage in the last few days concerning the aftermath and recovery efforts.

- The New Orleans Saints need to stay in New Orleans. Yes, the Superdome will likely be torn down and The Saints will have to play elsewhere for a season or two, but a plan being considered to move them to San Antonio permanently is so wrong. The Saints SUCK, we're talking Tampa Devil Rays suck, yet the faithful still flock to the dome every year. And to be fair, they have had a few winning seasons in their nearly forty-year history. Let's not forget that the last time N.O. lost a Major League sports team, we ended up with the most hilariously ironic (and sad) team name is sports history: The Utah Jazz. Yeah, those Mormons really swing, man.

I'm curious as to what you've observed or wish to comment on during the past week regarding Katrina.

Comments

[Jeff]

My only comment is that I'm not sure I can handle any more comments from armchair disaster relief commentators.

[Kent]

3 things.

I can’t believe those people were left to suffer and ultimately die in many cases down there. Every day I would turn on the TV expecting to see a huge evacuation underway. Instead everyday I was surprised to see Americans starving and desperate in the exact place they were the day before.

When Bush finally decided to show up, it made me sick to see him praise the head of FEMA for doing a “great job.” At that exact moment, all of those people were STILL not evacuated. And all of those republicans down there welcoming Bush and praising the job he did was equally as insulting. Everyone was trying to get the heat off each other.

I am so sick of people saying “now is not the time to point fingers.” It’s not finger pointing to be disgusted by how the situation was handled and looking for answers and accountability. This was the big premier of the Dept. of Homeland Security after all and I was not impressed.

Ok actually 4 things. It also bugs me that immediately after a disaster like this, the government is telling us to give money. Where do my taxes go? I wish not to Iraq. I am all for charity and helping those in need, but don’t you think it’s strange for the richest nation to always lay the guilt on it’s citizens.

[kate]

one comment...with the tsunami bush was shelling out the cash and aid....where is all the help now? This is America we can help everyone else but just not ourselves!

[Scotty]

I wasn't offended by Kayne West's comments. I was offended by Barbara Bush's comments.

I think I'm like most Americans in that I don't expect much from government except the tax bill. I do expect to see our government shine in a time of need. I was disappointed by the governments response to say the least. The United States just showed the world how enept its govenment is in responding to a crises. When the Hurricane hit our president went to San Diego to make excuses for the war in Iraq. (the new justification is so we can protect Iraq's oil fields from Al Queda) It wasn't too long ago that our President rushed back to the White House, during a vacation in Crawford, in his pajamas, to intervene in the Terri Shaivo case. What kind of confidence should we have in our government when President Bush will respond quicker to a white woman in a persistant vegitative state then to hundreds of thousands of mostly poor and mostly black people?

I do think there are many stories out there
which show the world that Americans are great to one another in a time of crises.