[HairOfTheDog]

For your consideration, and hopefully, civil discussion. :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

Pinging a few friends....

For your consideration ;~D

[B.O. Plenty]

Bump

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

I am bothered by all the racist talk on here of late, especially people pretending to talk like ghetto blacks. Enough of that already.

That said, it is hard for me to keep an open heart and continue to donate when the other side calls America racist, this was all the fault of Republicans and white people, etc.

I am also concerned about how much money this "relief" operation is going to cost. Is it going to be a lottery for people who never took care of themselves or planned for unforeseen circumstances?

Thank you for your post.

[Peach]

That's a very good post.

I've seen a few people condemn the evacuees, but most of us condemn the Mayor and Governor who made virtually zero effort to help those who were disabled, poor or just didn't have a car.

The leaders of New Orleans turned away the Red Cross, Salvation Army and National Guardsmen ready to maintain civil order in New Orleans. It is the leaders I'm angry with, and I'd guess fully 95% of Freepers are angry with.

[Spok]

We've heard so much about the reprehensible behavior of what I'm fairly sure is a small percentage of the survivors, and so much political posturing by the press, that we may be forgetting that there were many good, hardworking and decent Americans who's lives have been forever changed by this tragedy. Your post reminds us that it is those who are worthy of our prayers and efforts, and not the dregs and opportunists who seem to be drowning out the voices of the truly compassionate in this dark time.

[NetLiberty]

Thank you very much for writing and posting this. I too was getting very frustrated with the self-righteous tone of FR posters around here, and your post was a long overdue dose of sanity here.

[andyk]

I've found the debate on Free Republic and elsewhere nearly intolerable in the wake of Katrina.

I guess I just gloss over the crap, because I haven't noticed anything intolerable. There are a lot of idiots around, but one doesn't necessarily have to acknowledge them, or give them any credit.

[technochick99]

Great post!

[Uncle Joe Cannon]

here

[pollyannaish]

While the rest of the shallowly political on both sides argue and blame and say ugly things, I want conservatives to be measured as being better than that. The democrats in this country haven't had a good idea in years. Now is our chance to look at this enormous crisis with the practical, compassionate, Christian ideals that I know we possess.

Excellent Post. We have the ideas that can truly lead people out of poverty...not short term fixes. They just haven't heard it yet. We need to offer people a real chance for hope, not condescension and blame.

[MEG33]

Some people paint with a very broad brush indeed..I consider those posts as seriously as I do posts about turning the whole ME into a glass parking lot..Not at all.

I indeed have been fortunate..and had a family support system to see me through a rough spot..and have seen some others through some rough spots..

There are those who need us to be the family to get them through a rough spot..Perhaps those who can improve their lives can be helped by people like you and your fellow workers.

I have had to move out of my home for months because of a house fire...I have had to help a beloved family move in one day from their home heavily damaged by a tornado..Kind friends took them in, as housing was unavailable where they worked due to large numbers of people left homeless.

Texas is being a good neighbor at the moment.
I thank all the volunteers trying to help them.
There are rotten apples , sure..but many just need a leg up right now...and recovery from a very traumatic uprooting and loss.

I will decry waste and fraud..and lawlessness..but not generalize and lump together..There is hope and I thank God for those who work to help people help themselves..

[atomicpossum]

I'm just gong to chime in and add that I, too, have been disgusted with some of the overt and subtle postings that have made it to FR. It's become clear that some of the things the Left says about conservatives (racist, sexist, homophobe, and other smears) are, in fact, true in enough cases to keep the stereotype alive.

[Congressman Billybob]

You are allowing your "social conscience" to interfere with your observation of the facts. You assume that the tenor of the discussions here are that "those people" had it coming in some cosmic way. It is not.

Like everyone else seeking to understand a complex situation, the first goal should be to get the relevant facts on the table. One of those facts, which you wither did not know or neglected to mention, is that there was an Evacuation Plan for New Orleans.

Had this Plan been carried out, using the buses designated for it, most of the deaths in the City, and all of the horrors in the Superdome, would have been prevented. That did not happen because of the failures of two public officials, Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin, both elected with the overwhelming support of the citizens who were abandoned in the teeth of Hurricane Katrina.

There is a political subject you have to deal with, which does not appear. What are the dynamics by which the poor people you sympathize with, tend to elect political leaders who will either be incompetent, or corrupt, or both?

The suffering people of New Orleans WERE betrayed, but not by circumstances, or society, or the nation, of the Bush Administration. They were betrayed much closer to home, by people they entrusted with their welfare. That is a central fact you need to deal with. You haven't even mentioned it.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Another Ignorant Actor Spouts Off"

[r135rr]

thanks for the post I Live here in Louisiana and witnessed first hand most of the stuff taking place..I am so angry about all the judgments and if i see one more pic of the school buses I am going to scream....we are one of the poorest states and New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the country..there is no way with the mayor in a hotel with no phones and the cell phones out he could do much...I am not a fan of the Gov. but she was limited by limited communications. We evacuated 700,000 plus in 2 days i put that up against any city anywhere with only five routes out of town.

[kingu]

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

Excellent words and words that ring well in my heart.

While there were those who were were critical of government response, I was critical of the response of those most affected by the tragedy. Those who wanted to know what would be done for them, when they would be provided homes, when they would be paid, when they would be helped.

In a twisted form of reality, those people will be helped most and benefit least from that help.

Black, white, yellow or red - it doesn't matter. There were poor and rich from all groups. But those who insist on waiting for others to do the job are contrary to the ideals I've always held true to heart in America. You do what needs to be done, you don't stand around and await laurels for it, you just do it.

We saw through the media not a city of fishermen, but a city of folks with plates waiting for the BBQ to be served. Yes, you can be overwhelmed by events - I've seen this many a time while responding to disaster areas with the Red Cross. I've also seen folks threaten physical violence because dinner isn't being served fast enough by volunteers who get to eat when everyone else is done. I've had folks come up to me to complain that the trash cans aren't being emptied fast enough.

Like all things in life, our personal experiences color our viewpoints. Mine have been soured by the raw reality of people. It doesn't matter about their race or their economic status, they can all degrade to the same point.

I told the complainer where the trash bags were, where the bin was, and to do it himself. I temporarily closed a food line to have the volunteers deliver trays of food around the shelter to the elderly and those unable to stand in line. For these actions, I was encouraged to leave my efforts for someone else to take on since I was obviously racist; I was serving white elderly folks and making blacks starve. I was telling a hispanic man to do the work of volunteers.

When I see the Astrodome, I have a secret desire in my heart to not see a herd of refugees, but rather the largest gathering of volunteers to help those who truly need help. My secret desires aren't coming true, leadership no matter what the race or culture has failed to demand it.

A person who evacuated posted on her journal that she was concerned for an elderly fellow down the way from her apartment. She wanted to know what news there was of him. I was verbally attacked by her and her friends (of which I once considered myself) when I asked why she didn't take him with her. He obviously wouldn't be evacuating himself; at the very least she could have driven him to a shelter.

It wasn't her responsibility. It was the government, others who should do the job. It was her responsibility, I replied, as a human being, to see to the needs of others, especially those whom she cared for.

I understand what you're saying, that folks aren't displaying enough compassion. I doubt there is a person on this board who isn't compassionate towards an elderly person or someone who has a physical disability. If aid could be directed solely towards folks like these, I bet the outpouring of money would be incredible.

I've dealt with many a homeless person - a story often told by others with similar experiences - eventually people come to the reality that there is a population that wants to live on the street. So you try to direct your efforts towards those who want to escape, who want help, but also those who are willing to work towards their escape. Without that willingness, all you are doing is putting a homeless person on vacation at a hotel.

A reporter in Pass Christian asked a man why he was cutting up a tree that had fallen across a road. "Why not wait until the government gets here to clean up the mess?" The man shook his head, "My town, my responsibility. They want to help, they can do what I can not - rebuild the hospital, help with founding new schools. In the mean time, I'll handle this little stuff while they do the important work." Maybe this is urban legend, maybe not, but this is an American, doing the job of an American. These are the folks I'd like to give money to, since I know they'll use it for what is needed, not for what is wanted.

I have every respect for what work you've done, and for making this vanity. I disagree with you on some opinions, agree with others. If you can change some of the minds of those who are sitting comfortably and tossing random pot shots, great. But in reality, what needs to be done is a rally call, not here, but in every shelter holding those who have been displaced. Help those who can't help themselves, do what needs to be done, and don't stand around for applause.

This can be a wonderful opportunity or just a side trip through the world of poverty. New schools, new places - the cycle was broken and it remains to be seen if folks will get off their treadmills and help themselves. If not, they can stay in the box that others have defined for them, demonstrating how right those critics were about their morales and initiatives as Americans.

[r135rr]

thanks for the post I Live here in Louisiana and witnessed first hand most of the stuff taking place..I am so angry about all the judgments and if i see one more pic of the school buses I am going to scream....we are one of the poorest states and New Orleans is one of the poorest cities in the country..there is no way with the mayor in a hotel with no phones and the cell phones out he could do much...I am not a fan of the Gov. but she was limited by limited communications. We evacuated 700,000 plus in 2 days i put that up against any city anywhere with only five routes out of town.

[PGalt]

Outstanding post. Thanks.

[Twinkie]

Well Hair,

All I can tell you is what I see here in Tennessee. A nearby county, one of the richest counties in the state and maybe in the nation, has taken the evacuees into numerous very well organized shelters, complete with medical care, beds, showers,clothing, food, etc. and volunteers are busy coordinating jobs and applicants. These rich folks all over that county, and relatively rich folks all over the state have replicated that same effort at least all over our state, and I assume other states as well. Rich, poor and middle class across the board have opened their arms and their homes in many cases to these folks who have lost everything. Just about everyone knows deep down that they themselves could be walking in the same shoes in the blink of an eye. Quite possibly fear is what you hear coming from some people, fear that they, too, are one paycheck away from trouble with a capital "T" or one storm away from losing everything of any real value to them. None of us know how we would be if we had lived another's life, really.

[humblegunner]

Well, my city (Houston) is helping out a whole slew of 'em and I ain't kicking much.

That says something.

[Cboldt]

Great post. It all comes out in the wash. The Bible expresses an ideal way of man v. man, and your post "gets it."