This is a poem written by a college student from the University of New Orleans that someone sent me.
Hello my name is Kalli,
And for the time I am 19,
And this may sound alarming,
But I am a refugee.
I lived in Katrina's path.
New Orleans, LA.
And while I've got the world's attention.
I have something I'd like to say.
Let's stop the pointing fingers.
Let's stop saying who's to blame.
Because half my city's under water
And parts are up in flames.
My home maybe crumbling
And some possessions I have lost.
But I do not reproach anyone,
For it is no one's fault.
Now's the time to band together;
To help those who are in need.
Please just stop all this bickering,
And help us refugees.
Now, it's quite true that no human caused the hurricane. Bill Clinton, for example, said that while he had some very strong opinions about how FEMA should be organized, that he would reserve them until the relief efforts were further along.
However, we do elect political leaders, and when we elect them we have to ask who is sufficiently in touch with "the least of our brethren" to preside over those who have been victimized. We also have to ask whether the wind and rain have not the mask of the ugly face of racism in America. We have to ask if we were battling against the last tragedy when we were fighting this one (Bush made FEMA a sub-department of Homeland Security, even though there is an obvious difference between securing oursevles against an enemy and helping those suffering from a natural catastrophe). And did it also tear the mask off of condescending attitutes toward the poorest classes that we have been carrying around? My family and I are involved in the relief effort, but it's not an either-or between helping out on the one hand and asking how we can make our culture and government better able to assist when these situations arise in the future.
4 comments:
While there's a difference between defending ourselves against an enemy and mother nature, I'm not sure it is as clear as you suggest. For instance if New Orleans had all its levees blown by terrorists rather than a hurricane, would it truly affect how the people needed to be evacuated after events? It seems the thinking that we can't clearly separate terrorism from nature is well made.
Bush and the Congress' problem was that they did a lousy job creating DHS and integrating in FEMA. And Bush deserves huge criticism for who he put in charge of FEMA.
That's all quite true, Victor.
Though I guess I'm more sceptical about how much any Presidential candidate can be said to be effectively in touch with "the least of our brethren"; much less so once he's in office. I suspect it's unrealistic to expect much of that in any real sense.
I don't blame candidates (and officials) for not being much in touch with the least--if they were, they'd be doing things like firefighting, not holding executive or legislative positions, which are also necessary in our society.
One of the reasons Bush managed to win again, was largely because he was able to generally convince people that he was serious about his religious life. That's a touchstone with the "least", recognized in theory by both parties; but the Democratic political leaders have tended to give the impression that they hold the religious beliefs of the majority in contempt when we aren't looking. Fwiw, I think Bush traded in whatever legitimate religious life he was leading for a rhetorical appearance during the last election.
Anyway, I want to know (among other things) how much the candidates are willing to back the people who _are_ in touch with the least. Sort of like vicariousness, but in reverse. {s} I'm also looking for competency in actually doing so, however (not merely talking about doing so, or coming up with plans that don't make much administrative sense but sound good on the face of it.)
This (among other things) is why I couldn't in any good conscience decide on a vote for either side in the most recent election.
I have noticed how difficult it is to determine whether to blame or not on partisan politics. I heard Michael Medvid(?) on Air Armerica claim that the Bush Administration is guilty of intentional ethnic cleansing. The partisan distortion is obvious.
I suspect that the FEMA plan last summer identifies city and state resources as the first responders with federal support arriving a couple of days in. But I also suspect that the plan ignorantly expected that people would be able to respond to a mandatory evacuation.
The tradgedy is that so many were UNABLE to leave town, many others were UNABLE to take the order seriously, and most seemed UNABLE to help their neighbors. The social sins that led to this are too many to name: economic slavery, cycle of poverty, inadequate education, racial marginilization, corrupt local governments, unstable tourist economy...
I hope it is not the evacuation plan that is reviewed but the social issues that contributed to the failure of the plan. I hope blame hits hard where it should. Let this be a wake up call that the perceived heroic and community values of American culture are evaporating.
Michael Medved does not broadcast for Air America. He broadcasts for Salem Communication and can be heard on 960 the Patriot in Phoenix, and is a conservative. I think you are thinking of the late night broadcaster Mike Molloy, easily the most shrill of the Air America group, who makes frequent reference to the "Bush crime family."
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