another thought-provoking article
The follow-up on my experience with postpartum depression is going to have to wait. I have too much stuff going on in my life right now. And too many thoughts swirling around in my head...thoughts about race, welfare, government, war...you know...all those light-hearted subjects.
So for now, read this article and let me know what you think. I'm sure some of you will have an opinion, and I would LOVE to hear it.
So for now, read this article and let me know what you think. I'm sure some of you will have an opinion, and I would LOVE to hear it.
posted by Jana at 10:47 AM
4 Comments:
I think I basically have to agree with this author. What he says is true and accurate, however, I don't think it represents the entire picture. What I mean is, his take on the welfare state being the real problem is over-the-top, I think it contributes to the problem. It's just one of several things that went wrong in the face of this disaster.
New Orleans, Louisiana & the United States were not adequately prepared for this disaster even though they all knew it could and would happen eventually. My husband told me that in one of his college classes (he's a geologist)they talked about the five worst natural disasters that could strike the United States. A Category 5 hurricane hitting New Orleans was one of them! Yet knowing this there was not a good plan, actually it appears there was no plan, for evacuting the poor, infirm, elderly and incarcerated citizens of that region.
The path and forcasting of the hurricane itself caused a problem. Even those who were able to evacuate were not prepared because of the major turn in path and intensity of the storm between Friday afternoon and Sunday night.
And then after the storm hit it was being reported that New Orleans had been "saved" because the levees held but then they broke.
Well...I have more I could say about this and more points to make, but the baby just awoke and we must leave for a Dr. appt. soon. Maybe we can talk about it later. :-)
I have been saying for a week now that we are seeing the results of letting a whole segment of our society rot and decay. Our current social service system has failed them. Throwing money at the problem without accountability and life-skills education is a waste.
Tellling them all to, "just get a job," doesn't work either. Check out this article
Magic Marker Strategy--NY Times. Registration is free. Or read exerpts in my comment on JMG's Blog.
Tony
I think it's one of the best I have read--you are so good at finding interesting reads. It's more along the lines of what I think really happened. I am really not into blaming, but I don't understand why the mayor didn't send buses in when he knew Katrina was headed for them. I think there's a lot of complicated answers to that question. However, if those people didn't have a car--how else would they get out?
JB
I think the author of the article you linked to couldn't be more wrong and ignorant in his assesment of the role a "welfare recipient" played in this crisis.
I am curious to know what he thinks about the impending government handouts that will come to these people who have been displaced by the hurricane? Billions, and billions of dollars will be made availible to the residents of New Orleans, and I suspect that he would think the fact that the evacuees got a free ride to Houston should be enough for them to start over.
The stupidity of the welfare state is that it isn't sufficient in educating and providing resources for people to start doing better on their own. There should be some smart sociologist out there who tracks the citizens of New Orleans that were on welfare before the hurricane, and finds out what happens to them after they spend six months in good housing, safe neighborhoods, and with adaquate resources for food, health care, money, and jobs. I have a feeling (I pray that I am right) we will see a lot of people lifted from the cycle of poverty onto firmer ground.
Mr. Tracinski ignorance and prejudice is played out in his lack of understanding the basic human condition. There are people in the world who are evil, exploitive, and crave power at any cost. When opportunities arise for those kinds of people to satisfy those lusts, they take it without fear or concern for others well-beings. It's true in the ghetto, in suburbia, and in the Mansions all across this country. He is kidding himself if he thinks this looting happened just because these people were late in recieving their checks on the first of the month.
I would say that the vast majority of people were honorable, helpful, and unbelievable patient. Remember the story really wasn't about the violence, looting, and murder. The real story was about a government who left it's most vulnerable to fend for themselves in those conditions. Which in a lot of ways is par for the course if your poor, old, sick, and black.
I cannot find language strong enough to communicate how idiotic Mr. Tracinski theory is. Remember the movie "War of the Worlds" when everyone was fighting over the mini-van Tom Cruise (sorry I know that's a bad word) and his family were in? That scene is powerful because it illuminates a basic truth about human nature. We are all capable at one point or another of completely disregarding other people in the interest of protecting ourselves or our families.
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