A Rather Embarrassing Response

Mary Mason reads a newspaper in a rescue shelter at Biloxi Junior High School in Biloxi, Mississippi, September 1, 2005. It has been hard to find any programming on the major networks this week other than coverage of New Orleans and Biloxi. Images of the destruction from Hurricane Katrina and the resulting chaos are being covered on every media outlet available, yet there seems to be a serious disconnect between the help our citizens need and the assistance the Federal government has been providing. Maybe it’s a case of too many cooks in the kitchen, but it’s hard to avoid criticizing the entire mess when there are pictures of people dying unnecessarily because they’re waiting for help. I know I’m not the first person to jump on my blog and wax poetic about the abysmal response from the Feds in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, but I can’t help but feel absolutely saddened and embarrassed by how this is being handled.

For example, Anderson Cooper, host of Anderson 360 on CNN, interviewed Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu last night and got right to the heart of the issue. Cooper introduced Landrieu and immediately asked, “Does the federal government bear responsibility for what is happening now? Should they apologize for what is happening now?” Landrieu told him “there will be be plenty of time to discuss those issues,” and proceeded to begin thanking various government officials for their disaster relief support. Amidst the overflowing thank-yous, Cooper interrupted her:

Senator, I’m sorry… for the last four days, I have been seeing dead bodies here in the streets of Mississippi and to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other – I have to tell you, there are people here who are very upset and angry, and when they hear politicians thanking one another, it just, you know, it cuts them the wrong way right now, because there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman has been laying in the street for 48 hours, and there is not enough facilities to get her up.
(Transcript Credit: Think Progress)

Meanwhile, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has been lashing out at officials, criticizing the slow response and complete lack of support for a country’s own citizens. A NY Times editorial published yesterday, adequately titled “Waiting for a Leader”, opened with the following:

George W. Bush gave one of the worst speeches of his life yesterday, especially given the level of national distress and the need for words of consolation and wisdom. In what seems to be a ritual in this administration, the president appeared a day later than he was needed. He then read an address of a quality more appropriate for an Arbor Day celebration: a long laundry list of pounds of ice, generators and blankets delivered to the stricken Gulf Coast. He advised the public that anybody who wanted to help should send cash, grinned, and promised that everything would work out in the end.

I’m not really sure how to end this post, as I could continue writing for hours about this issue. Argh.

3 thoughts on “A Rather Embarrassing Response”

  1. I saw a headline yesterday that has Bush saying, “Results are not acceptable.” It would have made more of an impact 3 days ago. You’re right, I can’t think of a way to end this comment either…

  2. I served in the good ol US Coast Guard during Camille, and Gladys. Everyone is upset because nothing happened immediately. In Fact there was a whole lot going on. As with the 2 hurricanes I worked through, you cannot have enough time nor enough people. If there had been an additional 5000 Coasties, Yes things would have happened faster. Yes if LOCAL Govt’s had not dropped the ball with the federal prepardness money, things would have been better. It takes alot of People and Money to make things happen fast. The taxpayers are neither willing nor are they able to allow a beauracy languish for a 100 year hurricane. Maybe things could have been done better, But the people who stayed and died or waited for help, were there on THEIR own choice. The order for evacuation had been given, why did they ignore it? The culpability lies in both directions here. I was on a 95 Ft cutter (the Pt Roberts) doing a search for bodies in Mobile Bay, after Camille. I was shot at because I did not respond fast enough. The person who shot at me yelled it was all MY fault even though he had decided to ignore the evacuation order and stay. The media has all but forgotten that! So lets not get up on the soapbox here because we dont have instantaneous matter transportation!

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