A quick pole to see where everyone stands on Katrina.

There is a difference between being overcome and feeling empathy, and trying to help.

Neo-Logic said:

I've learned to feel sorry for those suffering without coming to tears. I think if I or all of us let ourselves be taken over by sorrow because of other's suffering, we would be in a state of constant grief and despair.

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For me, it's not so much a matter of 'let' as it is visceral reaction that my mind seems to take. While I'm working on trying to control it, I'm glad it doesn't prevent me from trying to help. I'm glad to have insight into the way another mind works, though!

I am almost disappointed to realize I voted with the majority.

michel said:

I am almost disappointed to realize I voted with the majority.

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michael, you just wanted to be the first one with 100%, admit it!

Does any one know if there was a contingency plan in place to cover the aftermath of storm damage to the levees.
It was known it would happen one day and should have been covered by normal risk assessment processes.
Before blame is given, we need to know if the planners or emergency teams were to blame.

Terry
____________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

Terrywoodenpic said:

Does any one know if there was a contingency plan in place to cover the aftermath of storm damage to the levees.
It was known it would happen one day and should have been covered by normal risk assessment processes.
Before blame is given, we need to know if the planners or emergency teams were to blame.

Terry
____________________________
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.

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I heard an American, from New Orleans, interviewed today saying that this has been forecast four years ago........

Bush's single-minded focus on the "war against terrorism" has compounded a natural disaster and turned it into the greatest calamity in American history. The U.S. has lost its largest and most strategic port and thousands of lives, and 80 percent of one of America's most historic cities is under water.

If terrorists had achieved this result, it would rank as the greatest terrorist success in history.

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http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?articleid=7149

I wish I could vote twice. I'm more and more disgusted by this everyday- and the lame excuse of "relief" that NOLA received.




"Please take care of my dog, his name is Chucky."

here's a question... if the reporters could get in and out and get food and water... why the $#!! couldn't the people they were reporting on not get any help?

Where did the reporters get thier food and water and why couldn't any of it reach the starving /dehydrated people they interviewed also get some?:areyoucra

Am I missing something here?:banghead3

wa:do

painted wolf said:

here's a question... if the reporters could get in and out and get food and water... why the $#!! couldn't the people they were reporting on not get any help?

Where did the reporters get thier food and water and why couldn't any of it reach the starving /dehydrated people they interviewed also get some?:areyoucra

Am I missing something here?:banghead3

wa:do

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Our consular officials can't even get in to locate and remove our citizens (because of some bureaucratic crap)...it's been left up to Australian press to find Australian citizens amongst the survivors and get them out. Now you've got the families of the missing mooching about the place seeming to have no problems getting into NO to try and find their son's and daughters. I've been at a loss the whole time as to how the reporters were running all over the place reporting on what was going on and the victims didn't seem to be able to get any help from official sources.

Jensa said:

Aid should have started going there the second the hurricane passed. There is no reason to allow anarchy to go on for days in what is supposed to be a first world country.

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You know, yes, maybe there could have been more done by the government for instance, having built better levees to withstand this kind of disaster that they knew was coming for years. But you can not say that the government did nothing. My squadron HM-15 and the USS Bataan was given less than 12 hours notice to get all our **** together, say good bye to our families (many of whom had JUST gotten off another deployment two days prior, I myself had just gotten engaged) and be ready to fly out at 5:00 am before the storm ever even made landfall. The storm was still crossing over when we had pulled out and were nearing the coast. I am tired of not hearing enough appreciation for what the people who are ACTUALLY OUT there have done. The corpman that is the rack next to mine woke me up today with horror stories of what she had seen in the airport turned hospital. This girl had not slept, showered or probably even eaten in two days because she was too busy helping lost children, and people who were dying all the while being surrounded by feces and blood. If you think YOU could do more...... be my guest. I am not saying that the government has done as much as it could...no, I do believe that more could be done but we can not discount the sacrifice of the people working so hard. Again, maybe WE ALL needed to do more... not just complain about it and if we dislike the system so much that prevented adequate aide well then hopefully that will be reflected in the next presidential campaign.

I have nothing but respect for those that have risked and helped in a direct way; I have done what I can in an indirect way. It is those in charge I have disdain for for delaying further aid. There was no reason for people to stay in the Superdome for 4 days with no electricity or for anarchy to run rampant.

I saw a news item today in which our "BBC Correspondent", who has been there for the last few days, interviewed one of the residents of New Orleans.


I forget the guy's name, but he (Meditaranian origin, maybe Greek, Italian, I'm not sure) and a friend of his rolled dice on the day the hurricane was due to decide if they would go or stay put.

The answer was 'Stay' - and they did. They remained in the shop that the med Guy owned, and in which he had put all his savings(A grocery store by the looks of it). He and his sidekick each had a revolver. They were nearly assaulted by looters in three separate attacks, and used their guns to fire in the air above the heads of the looters - they shared a 24 hour/day watch between them; as it happened, the water never even reached them.

What was sad was the fact that he and his shop were intact, but he is now in a virtual 'ghost town' - no one to whom he can sell his groceries to.

The only benefit is that now troops keep marching up and down the street with great regularity - he said quote "These guys have sub machine guns, sawn off shotguns ??,
and they tend to be ready to fire on anything that moves.

The shop keeper himself has nearly been shot as a looter..................

Talk about from bad to worse..........

It was effective for future disasters which will occur here and throughout the world.

We will learn from our mistakes.

didnt feel like going through all the replies, but it is spelled "Poll"

Has that been confirmed?
It'll be all hear-say as far as anyone is concerned

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If that's the case. so is everything else on the news
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-09-04-katrina-reportersnotebook_x.htm
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=2439

( whew , that took a whole five minutes to confirm)

Just because a few people are taking advantage of this situation, the whole of NOLA- all the innocents, deserve to just drown?

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Where in the world did that come from?! If I or anybody in this thread made a statement that looked even remotely like that or indicated that, could you please do me the pleasure of letting me know ( especially since you are conveniently responding to my quote)

If there was better management the looting and the crimes would have been reduced dramaticly.

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ah, well let me see here, does that mean that if somebody gets raped or robed in the town that is neighboring to the town I live in, we can blame the authorities since there is not a police station or officer in the town and the nearest authorities are almost ten miles away?! you've got to be kidding me.

I'm sick of the "DOWN WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE- ... already down!" I keep seeing- especially from those safe with their houses and lives and loved ones.

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congradulations!!! That's the statement that got me to move my schedule around just so I could respond tonight.

First of, lets see how that statement becomes a double edged sword. Something to the tune of: I'll bet that witty one-liner was conveniently typed from the safety of your life, house and loved ones.

Now being as how we are in the mood for stateing what we are "sick of" hows about I state how I am sick of those who make steriotypical assumptions about people they have never met before becuase of either personal experience or what they believe to be accurate statistic. Although it doesn't really matter being as how I could make a good case for both reasons to be extremely innaccurate when it comes to make assumtions about somebodies lifestyle based on statements made on the internet. How do you even define "down" in this context? Would being a high school drop out and an exfelon who served fours years in prison because of a sentence handed down by a judge who stated that they didn't think I belonged in prison before they sentenced me be considered down to you? Oh and by the way, I was born and raised in CA. for 19 years and the only family I have in the state I currently reside in(Iowa) is my wife, children, and brother who has PTCS (Post Traumatic Chronic Skitzophrenia) due to being molested when he was younger by a male since none of the rest of our family wanted to have anything to do with him and I don't own a house but live in low income appartments and work two jobs to get by since you seem so interested in my lifestyle.

Now, I fail to see how the statment of mine that you quoted might even indicate that I have an attitude of "Down with the people" but since you brought it up, I will state that I have absolutely NO simpathy for those who choose to shoot at those who are making any attempt at helping them or for those (looters) who decide to steal electronic appliances in a time when running those appliances are the last thing they need to worry about since there is no electricity in the area, or for those who see this tragic situation as an oppertunity to take out their sexual frustrations on innocent victoms and I will NOT blame the authorities for the nautural disaster that provided these people with what they felt like an oppertunity to express these desires. How that translates into "DOWN WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE" genuine innocent victoms of this tragic event is buyond me. I Find it ironic how there are those who are sitting at home looking down on those who are making more of a direct effort, no matter how "inneffective" they believe it is, at improving the situation than they are. Then again the question asked for this poll is misleading in the sense that those are answering that the effort has been "innefective" are stating that there hasn't even been a negative effect and then complaining about it as if it is.

In addition, an investigation into the failure of local authorities to inforce a mandatory evacuation and peace officers who deserted their sworn duties and in some cases, joined in on the looting.

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I agree

This isn't from some left/right/any-wing site, it was on NBC's Meet the Press.

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Since I have already gotten off subject here, I may as well continue. This the absolutely most hilarious statment made in this thread!!! Do you sincerely believe there is such a thing?! Do I really need to explain the inflence of sponsers, the public and yes even the (gasp) government?! Or should I get into the philosphical contradictoons of that statement and how facts don't speak for themselves but always need an interpretation and due to factors like world views, philosophies, religion, etc. it is pretty much impossible for almost any aspect of the media (maybe with the exception of weather forcasting) to be agreed on by everybody as having no biased at all?

Sincerely,
SoliDeoGloria