itsallovernow (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
itsallovernow) wrote2005-09-02 06:55 pm
itsallovernow) wrote2005-09-02 06:55 pm
Friday Evening
I keep saying that the events in New Orleans and Biloxi and the Gulf Coast are putting my own problems in persepctive, and sometimes that's true and sometimes that's not.
But when I read CNN, or the papers, when I watch the news, when I hear about the devastation and the hopelessness and the fear and the conditions that people are living under, I start to cry.
When I read journalists, many of whom I've lost respect for over the past four years, show that they are human, that they finally have recovered a moral center, a place for real outrage - misguided or not - I cry harder.
When I read about the people in Texas and in other states and places and countries sending aid, wanting to do what they can, when I look around at my flist at all of these people who want to do what they can, I just can't stop myself.
Yes, I want someone to blame because somewhere gross incompetence happened. My guess is it's happening in a lot of places at a lot of levels. My other guess is that some of this couldn't have been prevented and the scope of this tragedy lies somewhere between those two places. The government is not currently inspiring a lot of faith in me, and that's regardless of the support (or lack of it, more importantly) that I feel for the whole administration. But I know that the lack of help, the lack of evacuation or food or water for the people still in the city has nothing to do with George W. Bush personally. But there are a lot of things about current American politics across the board - Republican,Democrat, local, state and federal - that are adding to this disaster, making it worse intsead of better. And for that, yeah, I'm angry.
I feel like much of what's happening in NO has to do with race and class and money. Can't say it for certain, but it's a bone deep feeling. And that has nothing to do with Homeland Security, or levees or press conferences. It has to do with people being to poor to get out, with people not having anywhere to go, and it's going to be a hell of a thing once people can return, and have to start over and find that while they thought before that life couldn't get worse, they were wrong. And then the crying starts all over again.
People in California are rallying to do what they can. The Rose Bowl was open two days ago to collect Red Cross donations. Animal Planet is already setting up things to help all the stranded animals, and people are doing what they can. And I hope it's enough. I hope we're expansive enough to help, to do whatever needs to be done, to listen to the people who know what's going on, who know what can be done on a tangible level moment to moment. And I hope for those people still in the city, or those hoping to go home again someday, that we as a country will help enough so that they have somewhere to go back to.
But when I read CNN, or the papers, when I watch the news, when I hear about the devastation and the hopelessness and the fear and the conditions that people are living under, I start to cry.
When I read journalists, many of whom I've lost respect for over the past four years, show that they are human, that they finally have recovered a moral center, a place for real outrage - misguided or not - I cry harder.
When I read about the people in Texas and in other states and places and countries sending aid, wanting to do what they can, when I look around at my flist at all of these people who want to do what they can, I just can't stop myself.
Yes, I want someone to blame because somewhere gross incompetence happened. My guess is it's happening in a lot of places at a lot of levels. My other guess is that some of this couldn't have been prevented and the scope of this tragedy lies somewhere between those two places. The government is not currently inspiring a lot of faith in me, and that's regardless of the support (or lack of it, more importantly) that I feel for the whole administration. But I know that the lack of help, the lack of evacuation or food or water for the people still in the city has nothing to do with George W. Bush personally. But there are a lot of things about current American politics across the board - Republican,Democrat, local, state and federal - that are adding to this disaster, making it worse intsead of better. And for that, yeah, I'm angry.
I feel like much of what's happening in NO has to do with race and class and money. Can't say it for certain, but it's a bone deep feeling. And that has nothing to do with Homeland Security, or levees or press conferences. It has to do with people being to poor to get out, with people not having anywhere to go, and it's going to be a hell of a thing once people can return, and have to start over and find that while they thought before that life couldn't get worse, they were wrong. And then the crying starts all over again.
People in California are rallying to do what they can. The Rose Bowl was open two days ago to collect Red Cross donations. Animal Planet is already setting up things to help all the stranded animals, and people are doing what they can. And I hope it's enough. I hope we're expansive enough to help, to do whatever needs to be done, to listen to the people who know what's going on, who know what can be done on a tangible level moment to moment. And I hope for those people still in the city, or those hoping to go home again someday, that we as a country will help enough so that they have somewhere to go back to.
no subject
but i got an email update today from the Humane Society, that they are on the ground in Louisiana and have started operations there to care for racehorses, and livestock, and pets left behind and lost. that, and the visible help that is now showing up on tv and the internet, makes me feel much better.
(((you)))
no subject
and Noah's Wish is on the ground, too, though today their website is overloaded and down. But they are a GOOD organization that does amazing work for the animals (they were up here during the fires a few years back.)
But we really need to reevaluate how animals get dealt with in an emergency. I read a story of one man who wouldn't leave his house (in a flooded part of NOLA) when he was finally reached by rescuers on the weekend because they told him he had to leave his dog behind and he wouldn't. And I read about a little boy, and his dog. The police forcibly took his dog from him when he was getting on a bus to evacuate. He was apparently in hysterics (understandable, I would be, too) and the cop said "ya, I don't know what will happen to his dog." So. very sad. It's these minor stories in the midst of major tragedy that break me.... I know I would someday love to do volunteer training and work with Noah's Wish, but God....
no subject
The Louisiana Horsemen's Association is busy too, and the Thoroughbred racing industry is hard at work taking care of their own. Some happy endings here and lots of horse-related hurricane news and relief efforts here.
no subject
If nothing else, Bush's (supposed) bad joke about rebuilding trent lott's vacation home, proved that to me. Amazing how much longer help takes when the state affected isn't dear brother Jebb's, the Bush who has yet to run for president.
To me, if nothing else, I hope this makes the diehard war supporters wake up and realize that we barely have enough troops for afghanastan and the home front, let alone Iraq and possibly Iran. THIS is what the national guard was meant for. We've already seen what there loss had done with the battles of the summer's forest fires. Now we get to feel their loss in a whole new way.
*growls* And the White House spin department dares to dress down anyone for playing "politics" with the disaster. You mean like they won't be playing politics with the 9/11 memorials? Or how FEMA was sacrificed for politics?
Sorry....you probably didn't need more ranting here.
no subject
>I feel like much of what's happening in NO has to do with race and class and money.
I agree completely. I think we should take a good look at our own cities and towns as well as New Orleans. New Orleans has been around through many many government administrations, republican and democrat, and disaster struck during this one, but it could have happened 10 years ago or 10 years from now. I don't think the situation would have changed much. We have a lot of poor people, elderly, and disabled *not* factored into our society on a local or a nation-wide level. Has it ever been otherwise?
I don't like the finger pointing because the finger might as well be pointed at me because in my own town I am not as involved as I should be and many other people can say the same thing. It is easy to point at the President, but in the end he is just one person and a problem this big took a lot more than one person to create and a lot of people, together, to fix I hope. But likely everyone will just fight, point fingers, and crucify a person or a political party rather than the part within themselves that allowed this to happen.