AGAIN, THE FACT THESE FOLKS AREN"T BEING SHOT ON SIGHT IS JUST FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE INCOMPETENCE OF THE MAYOR AND THE GOVERNOR!
You declare martial law, you order looters and others than opose your attempt to maintain order SHOT ON SIGHT.. you give that authorization! NO/LA did not do that... and to this day STILL HAVE NOT DONE THIS! HELL WE HAVE THE COPS ON TAPE JOINING IN ON THE LOOTING!
THE LOCAL AND STATE HANDLING OF THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN BEYOND CHILDISH and INCOMPETENT... its down right CRIMINAL.
and if the civilians are prosecuted for looting, Jessie jackson will be there screaming racism.
GWBush declared disaster area before the storm hit.
GWBush has responded to release the oil reserves.
GWBush has mobilized the military and positioned them before the storm hit.
YET
The Mayor of NO has only sanctioned looting.
The Mayor of NO has only fed the panic of the people.
The Mayor of NO has not THOUGHT to get boats out and food out.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DYING IN THE ATTICS? HOW MANY ARE STARVING IN THEIR HOMES?
While there is a tiger at the gates the Gov of LA is making sacrifices at the temple.
YET the MSM blames Bush.
Do you always yell?
There is a 3 star general who is now in charge of military relief coordination in the region. The NG will soon move in with job of securing a departure zone. They will move that ring out, by force if needed, eventually.
Despite the fact that people are dying it is a worrisome and grave decision to give the NG the authority to used deadly force against the citizenry. I'm not saying it isn't justified, but I am saying that it should not be a snap decision, and it is a decision to be taken with the utmost caution.
Before such order can be given I believe they need to have sufficient troops on site to back up the security teams. What is needed is overwhelming force to create a secure perimeter. The troops are on their way.
While it is quite clear that some (many?) problems have arisen in the handling of this situation, it is also true that the devastation unleashed by Katrina is of such magnitude that there was and is no way to adequately prepare for such an event. Screaming at me about the incompetence of the mayor & governor is doing nothing to save lives or improve the lives of those who have escaped. My advice: Save it for later. There will be a time for reckoning, but that time is not now.