New Orleanians 8/29/06
It's been a year since dawn approached on August 29, 2005, and a nation watching New Orleans from afar breathed a well-deserved sigh of relief because the city had dodged the bullet once again as Hurricane Katrina steered east at the last minute, avoiding the much feared projected direct hit. Coastal Mississippi suffered the full wrath of Katrina. New Orleans' system of federally designed and constructed levees should have been adequate protection from an indirect hit by a Category 3 or 4 storm, like Katrina. But the levees weren't what the Army claimed they were, and they failed catastrophically. It was a separate man-made disaster.
It's natural to want to focus blame, and there's plenty enough to spread around. I even take the unpopular position of laying some on the National Hurricane Center. New Orleans didn't get much time to evacuate. Katrina came up out of nowhere and moved unusually quickly, making a surprising change of direction as she passed over the southern tip of Florida. There were 36 hours between the time the NHC pointed the cone at Louisiana and the time the streets were no longer passable, and it started on a Saturday morning. In that tiny weekend window, they managed to evacuate 90% of the city. Katrina did not do this to New Orleans.
There is no such thing as a place on this Earth that is immune to disaster, and New Orleans doesn't have a monopoly on "when, not if" scenarios. Manhattan, Tampa, Memphis, San Franscico, all share that distinction. Forest fires devour communities and tornadoes obliterate them. We don't just walk away when that happens, do we? Are we doing that now simply because this time the scope is too enormous to grasp? If it's impossible to envision a clear path to recovery, is it just easier to blame the victims and tell ourselves it's their fault for living there and it would never happen to us? That sounds like losing one's soul to me.
The whole country, all the rest of us, the ones who are not living there, are part of the cause of the loss of the wetlands that should have protected New Orleans from storm surge. The Mississippi River has been appropriated for shipping, not just petroleum but goods into and out of the heartland, so the folks who live deep in the country can drive SUVs and buy and sell stuff. The nation has benefited greatly from Louisiana's loss.
Earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, wild fires, tsunamis, floods, blizzards, catastrophic heat, landslides, avalanches and hurricanes are the nature of the planet. We are a nation. It's our duty to face those catastrophies and any accompanying aftermath together, with and for each other. It's our obligation, our national responsibility, and it's immoral to refuse. We're Americans. It's what we do. If we don't, we are not ok.
You're absolutely right! We are all in this together. However you have your
Rush Limbaugh's and Bill 0'Reilly's that constantly harp on people
depending on the government. They've forgotten that government IS the
people; not separate.
The problem with the right in America is that think a kick to the head is
better than helping someone stand up. Which of course is ass backwards to
what I as an outsider think, makes America great.
I've give an amen 'cept for that atheist/agnostic thing, so how about just
a hell yeah! Hey Sharon, it was great to finally meet you and everyone
else in person, even those who didn't emerge from their veil of
anonynimity.
You'll have to let me know which student is your son's
roommate. A couple of old friends suddenly appeared on the english faculty
this year, and an old student's younger brother is in one of my classes,
and my old students have reappeared this week. That, combined with the
Rising Tide conference, has given me a very real and comforting sense of a
re-emerging (re-merging?) community. That and a decent bottle of red can
get me through anything.
Capt., I have no doubt you are right, about looking down on others to feel
better about themselves. It's so sad.
And Mr. Big-Shot was down there mugging for the cameras again, just a brief
pause in his policy of neglect. Schmuck.
It has been a long sad day. I tried to avoid it but sadness was heavy in
the air.Thanks for coming for the Rising Tide.
Paula, I actually encountered his motorcade driving back through MS. The
westbound lanes of I-10 were cleared for many miles and all the exit and
entry was blocked to clear the highway for his motorcade to go from Biloxi
to Gulfport. They were getting on as I passed. The westbound traffic was
backed up for at least five miles for his highness. He's still putting
those poor people out. Grrrr.
I'm glad you had such a meaningful, busy trip. It's sounds amazing. What
is more amazing is what you describe. That the government of this nation,
which I love, has failed it's own people so miserably. It's so upsetting.
Heartbreaking. I wish there was more that I could do and more I could
give. You are doing great things. I'm sure these folks appreciate you so
much. Sometimes just the presence of another can make things so much
better. Keep on keeping on Sophmom.
I think it is great that you got to meet fellow bloggers. Plus you got to
be part of something historically important. I wish I could have gone too!
Will you post pics of your trip on the flickr?
What is the deal? Why aren't my comments showing up??? I KNOW I commented
on this post. Harumph ;-)