Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.
("When the Levee Breaks" Led Zeppelin)…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Blogcritics On Hurricane Katrina - Comments Page 2
Article comments
— go to most recent comments26 - The Errant Fool
Hey Connie, actually I blogged links to charities. I trackbacked to this post, it's listed in the trackbacks at the top of the comments. I also added this to my links blog: there's a blog covering the flooding in Slidell, LA (right outside New Orleans). The link is http://slidell.weblogswork.com/.
27 - Triniman
I'm just watching CNN right now and I haven't felt this way since 9/11.
My condolences to my American neighbors and others affected, for this awful disaster. I'm sorry to hear about the families separated and experiencing the loss of loved ones. I'm elated to see rescuers saving folks, though. You get to see the best of people at times like this. I know about the lootings and car jackings, etc., but those losers are in the minority.
I know the victims of this hurricane will bounce back, but I feel for them in the interim.
28 - Kelly
This is for "Nancy" last post 8/29/05; I don't know what newspapers/newscast you have been watching, but "Katrina" has been named the worst natural disaster to hit the US in history. On a personal note, we are from La. with family and friends that are from south La, who have literally lost everything they own and cannot even return to what is left due to the 95% total flooding of Orleans Parish, at this time it is expected to be flooded 100% by tomorrow due to further breaching of the levees. Have you seen the total destruction of Gulfport/Biloxi, MS? Maybe you have never been there, but my family has spend an entire lifetime of vacations up and down the gulf coast, this area has been almost completely destroyed. It looks like a war has been fought there, homes 150 years old, entire southern heritages gone. How much worse does it have to be???Media hype, from first hand, they hit this one on the nose. New Orleans did not take a direct hit, just 30 miles east, they did not get the 25ft storm surge that Gulfport did but the destruction was none the less. Please before you make comments you obviously no nothing about, consider those people that have nothing left and do not lessen that by ignorant observations.
29 - charlie
prediction: a prominent minister, within week's time, will claim that new orleans destruction was punishment for decadence.
seriously, what a tragedy...nature struck hard.
sad to hear as it happened so quickly.
30 - Doug Hannan
I was wondering what the local newspaper coverage was like and came across this explosive editorial directly linking the flooding that is happening now to the diversion of flood control funds to the Iraq war.
link
31 - Doug Hannan
prediction: a prominent minister, within week's time, will claim that new orleans destruction was punishment for decadence.
I was amused to see that RaptureReady.com which sees just about every news item as proof of the coming "end times" has posted the following warning on its message board:
Please read before posting re: Hurricane Katrina
In order to protect the witness of this board, and in an effort to be compassionate toward those who will be affected by Hurricane Katrina please be aware that any posts suggesting that this storm is God's judgement on the US (or anyone/anything else for that matter) are not welcome and will result in loss of posting rights.
The don't explain further the "Katrina exception" to their otherwise rampant apocalptic fantasies.
32 - New Search Engine
Wow, what force the storm came in (thankfully it was not a category 5 afterall). Funny how everyone was told to goto the Dome, it looks like the first place I would visit if i was a huricane! Thankfully everyone had suffient notice to leave the area (if they had an alternative).
A website (poverty portal and homless search engine) may be able to help find homeless resources in near by counties and states down south (near New Orleans) like Florida and Louisiana...
BTW, stop looting Walmart and hope everyone is well, my heart goes out to you!
33 - Nancy
Well, obviously my newcasters weren't doing the job they should have been; this is all dreadful. And where are the other nations? How is it when we have a disaster, no one lifts a finger, yet they all expect us to race to their aid? They could at least send sympathy messages.
34 - imelda
Nancy, I think that Canada customarily sends a card and a bunch of Hydro crews to help get the power grid fixed.
I think we should also send the DART team to New Orleans - that's our military water purification unit. They can turn out thousands of gallons of clean drinking water a day from the stuff that's sitting on the streets.
But it is tough to know what to do - after all you are not some third world country - so I think most countries are waiting to be asked to provide specific support when it's needed.
35 - Silas Kain
Somehow I think that the Canadians will do more than just send a card and provide hydroelectric repair support. The Bayou is populated with Cajuns whose roots extend deeply into the heart of Canada.
36 - Nancy
It would be nice just to know someone out there is willing to help, even if we don't need it (and who is so rich they can afford to turn away friends? Maybe Bush is, but I'm not).
37 - Silas Kain
Germany and Russia have offered assistance. The Opposition Leader in the Toronto government has called for Canadian aid to be dispatched to the States.
38 - Nancy
That's nice just to know. Thanks. Any bets the Saudis - such DEAR friends they are - will so much as wish us well? I won't put any dough on that one.
39 - Doug Hannan
How is it when we have a disaster, no one lifts a finger, yet they all expect us to race to their aid?
I am quite sure you will be proven wrong with this petulant comment. On a per capita basis the US was very far down the list in terms of Tsunami aid btw, contrary to the American self-image of the worlds only aid provider.
40 - Nancy
Is that by "official" US donation from the government, or estimated donations from all US sources? If we're talking out of pocket from us on the street, I'd be willing to bet (if there were any way to check it) that we were up there at or near the top; I know I donated some big bucks & I wasn't alone.
41 - Ivan Budilovsky
Our administration response is pretty sad but also very characteristic. It is not the Jebb's Miami under water, so what's the hurry? And the oil companies are no diferrent from the looters out there. If this was Albania we would be flying C141's next morning. Our own people are on the agenda only when we need their stinking votes! I hope the people of beatiful Lousiana as well as other intelligent observers will remember at the polls on next election that this country needs a statesman for a leader not a diletant dry hole driller!!
42 - imelda
I guess saving your own little looters is not as glamorous as exporting "freedom" to the oppressed. Not such good TV.
I am amused (in a horrified sort of way) by the "Americanism" of it all - there is no drinking water, no electricity, no food - but boy there sure are plenty of guns. & not necessarily the kind that "good men keep handy to protect their families" rather the kind looted by the gangsta boyz to protect their looted giant Nikes.
I wonder what kind of a spin the NRA will put on that.
43 - imelda
None of the above should be taken to mean that I am not absolutely heart-broken for all the people going through this tragedy & horror all along the Gulf Coast.
It is so sad - the poorest people are the ones who always suffer the most - little or no insurance, nowhere to go & nothing to do there.
44 - Bunny
Naturally, the ignorance and politcal biases seep in and make a sad situation pitiful to discuss.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of people died this week. Many could not leave. As hard as it is to believe in the blogosphere, some did not hear warnings of a massive storm approaching.
This is a very tragic situation. I hope we can all pray for mercy and help for those who need it. For those of us who don't pray, maybe we can find something more productive to do than critize the President/Media/Foreigners/Christians.
I lived in SC when Hugo hit. I was 90 miles north of the eye of the storm, and the home I lived in the previous year was destroyed, along with thousands of others. This storm was much worse, and the devestation is enormous.
New Orleans and all the surrounding cities and countryside need help.
Our economy will need help, later. Our infrastructure will need help, later. People need help now.
45 - BillyBoyBobbyLee
After reading several articles this a.m. September 1, 2005 concerning the looting, breakin's, shooting, carjacking etc.... happening in New Orleans in the wake of Katrina, when the city is paralyzed and cannot properly respond....
I think we ought to rename it: Hades
If there are any Natural Gas fires started... one could call it the lake of fire.
This is terrible, and getting worse as gangs roam the street, looting for alcohol, perscription drugs, food, guns, trying to break into hospitals and nursing homes... it's appalling.
The mayor took police off of search and rescue duty to restore order.
National Guard is moving in.... how about NATO? Is that what this is coming to? Citizens are being asked to give up their guns as they evacuate... SO THE POLICE WILL BE ADEQUATELY ARMED.
WOW!!!!
46 - Ivan
Homeland Security?
Where? At the back room of the post office reading my mail? We created this institution 4 years ago! At the expense most Americans would be shocked.
And we did not get attacked, only flodded. There is no radiation or gases in the air killing population.
And we are more concerned about scavengers(wish I could call them people)looting some Tv's and Ipod's!These Walmart's did not buy a discounted insurance in China with the rest of the goods?
What a logic when our own citizens are dying from lack of food, water and medicine on the roofs and section of broken highways. What a plan!
And now I hear our own president saying that WE did not ask anybody for help. Who is WE?
I guess the same cocky establishment that said WE do not need anybody's help to attack Iraq.
Than THEY come crawling to the European community to mend the fences and ask for money. If we do not need anybodys help being such a powerful nation, why we have a churches on every corner in every little town. Because we like to sing along with our leader on Sunday's?
I do not think so. And I guess he is not as cocky as he used to be.
The "bring it on" was deleted from his address to the nation!
47 - monty
God bless the innocent victims, God bless America - sorry to point out that the rapists, snipers, theives,looters and thugs are all Americans...this is sick! Please do not twist this into an American triumph over overwhelming adversary - Learn from this tradigy. DON'T make a movie and show it during prime time waving the Stars and Stripes. Fight the rot that lives in all cities, wherever they are. It is amazing how a North American City can colapse into a state similar to a third world country city after a catostrophic disaster strikes!
48 - Lili Shane
I think all mother's should refuse to send their children to school until the babies in New Orleans are safe. Why should we trust our children to government schools when the government can sit back and watch children in New Orleans suffer.
49 - Tan The Man
Many scientists and engineers predicted this kind of disaster. Most of Louisiana is under sea level after decades of horrible short-term fixes of the state's land/waterways. It didn't need such a strong hurricane to cause this much destruction.
50 - Matthew T. Sussman
Has everyone donated yet?
51 - Ivan
"Everyone donated yet?"
Yeah, I am headed to post office with bag of money left over from my Social Security right after I finish cutting my diabeties and blood pressure pills in half so I can make it last a month.
You must be coming from LA-LA Land!
We are spending 1 billion a day in Iraq every damn day! That is a 1.000 millions Mister Matthew, if you have trouble seing the magnitude.
We walking around there with a suitcases full of dollars handing out $20.000 to famillies for every innocent civillian we killed. Same scenario in Afganistan. And our president is asking us to donate money to fix HIS ivisionary screw-up since HE was the one that cut the federal money allocated to rebuild the levies protecting New Orleans. And our administrations logistics to handle his screw-ups. Nothing short of disastrous. 4 DAYS AFTER the hurricane there is still not enough National Guard and supplies to stabilize the situation. Same thing happened in Iraq 3 years ago! Talking about slow learners or a gross incompetence on federal government level? Is it so demanding on your brain to put all this in sober perspective? I guess as long as we have ignorance blossoming in minds like yours, we will never get back on our feet and can kiss our American Dream good-bye!
52 - Silas Kain
Not only donated but have gone a step further. Many gay brothers and sisters in the Northeast are opening their homes to the displaced GLBT community. I don't have much but I'm more than willing to take in a couple of people who need it.
So many of these people will never be able to return to New Orleans and they don't realize it right now. They need our love, support and prayers. As dark as these days are for them this is an opportunity and out of the rubble will emerge a stronger, united community.
53 - Matthew T. Sussman
Good to hear, Silas.
I wish I could give blood.
54 - Nancy
Blood, blankets, pet food, canned ready-to-eat --- but not money. You all wouldn't believe the scams panhandling for money that are already out there. It's a pity I can only give once a month. Maybe I can lie as soon as the bruise goes away...?
55 - Matthew T. Sussman
Reminds me of a great line from The Jerk:
56 - Kristen in South Dakota
I am devastated about what is happening in our country due to the hurricane. I found myself sitting in my air conditioned home this morning, drinking my coffee, sending my children off to school, giving the baby a bath, and talking with my friends on the telephone........what in the world???????? A country as rich in resources as ours and what do we have? We have people starving, dying, floating dead in the streets, children terrified and thirsty, uncomfortable heat, and the list goes on and on. Yet, of course, there are you wonderful people who are tired of hearing about the hurricane. Wonderful Americans who could care less about those that you do not personally know. Shame on all of you. Shame on those of us who have nothing better to do than complain about having to clean the house today, dishes not being done, wishing we could have hit the snooze button a few more times, annoyed that our children did not clean their rooms before they took off playing with their friends, etc. Where is the compassion and love for our fellow man. We are all watching the reports of devastation......what makes it worse is that devastation hit to many who were already living a life of poverty. Black, white, red, green, blue......I don't care. We are all humans and we should all feel the emotional devastation that there are those in our country that are in so much hurt right now. My prayers are constantly with those who need them most right now. I encourage my children to talk of what these people are enduring right now. My family spends our evenings watching the news coverage and talking about the devastation. As Americans, we should be offering any support we can and praying for all. We live in 2005...there should not be this type of chaos so many days after the hurricane showed its evil face. We are a country rich in resources.....people should not be suffering right now. People should not be walking amidst their own feces, thirsty for water, hungry for food. What is our country coming to?
57 - Bob
I wouldn't be too hard on people that are going on with their lives. Honestly, this entire situation is overwhelming. Almost every single person in the country wants to help...but the problem is there just isn't that much that can be done, especially by individuals.
We can all help in indirect ways - give as much as you possibly can to the Red Cross. Give blood often - not just when there's a disaster. Keep these people in your prayers. But beyond those things there just isn't much that can be done. We have to go on living our lives and be thankful for what we have.
58 - imelda
Now I am not sure what's more horrifying: the misery of the people on the Gulf Coast & especially in New Orleans OR watching George W.'s torturous efforts at speaking to reporters.
I am so sorry - for everyone. Things are going very badly.
59 - Steve S
Report of people resorting to eating the dead to survive.
60 - Bob A. Booey
I don't believe it's true, but if that's how desperate people have gotten, we really need to do much more and do all we can to rescue and bring supplies to people.
If people are starving to death and having to eat dead bodies, this has gotten as bad as it could possibly ever have been imagined to be.
It's about equivalent to people jumping from the burning buildings on 9/11 if this is true and very sad.
I'm still skeptical about the report, however.
That is all.
61 - Steve S
quite a few of the commenters were skeptical of the report. I dunno what to think, myself.
Some commenters said people could live for 30 days with no food. But can an 80 year old? Can a child? Who knows.
62 - Silas Kain
You can live 30 days without food. Seven to ten days without water. Less in the case of infants and the infirmed.
63 - George
Rev Jackson you are the racist...the mayor of New Orleans is Black, the LT. Gen put in charge by Pres Bush is Black and it seems your black friends all failed the black community in New Orleans...not the Federal Govt, but the local Govt and a Lt. Gen who did not take action quickly to help those in need. Seems you and Al Sharpton always want to blame not only Bush's administation, but because he is white, you will never admit in your life that a Black man could of acted faster, especially since he was the Mayor...duhhhhhhhhh a now brainer...when will the day come, when you put the blame on a black person and not always on a white person...Curious as to why the Mayor of New Orleans visit the Superdome during this sad moments in time...you know why..his own people would of shot him cause he did not take any action to protect them...find another scape goat instead of always blaming white people on such things....i guess it is the white man fault for the destruction in SouthEast Asia...what cha thing Rev....
64 - Matthew T. Sussman
How many days can you live without food when there are piles of shit and dead bodies all around you?
I listened to Mayor Nagin's interview on CNN ... man, that is one pissed off politician, rightfully so. Give him a trophy.
65 - maria
I am spanish and live in madrid (spain),I have watch on the TV the Fox and CNN news about the hurricane katrina and I was shocked to see people starving to die and grieves me that was happened in your great country.I am going to send a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims and hope to much people in Europe make the same. Good bless you.
66 - Peter Bruijns
It seems to me there is a whole lot of America that has been washed to the surface by this disaster. First that the municipal leaders were completely irresponsible. It is clear that criminal elements would remain in the City to take advantage of the evacuation and therefore Marshall Law should have been put in place BEFORE the storm hit and Troopers brought in BEFORE to ride out the storm and deploy out immediately. It is also clear the storm would hit category 4 or 5 and that the levies would breach long before the storm ever hit. Why wasnt City transit organized to move the elderly sick and poor out of town in the days leading up to the disaster. So many poor people would never leave because they cannot afford a hotel and a trip hours inland. The Mayor of New Orleans is truly an incompetent leader. The head of FEMA is equally incompetent. A 4 day response shows the sickness in the entire government response mechanisms at every level.
I think the biggest weakness this exposes is the cultural thin thread of the entire USA. 37 million poor people, more than 1 in ten would have no ability to respond no matter where an emergency occurred. To me it would be common sense to recruit all able bodied men in New Orleans to immediately begin cleanup and rescue activities. I see thousands of men standing around doing nothing! Some of that $500,000,000 being spent a day by this FEMA organization should go to organizing work crew wages. These people wont have jobs for six monhs so recruiting 5,000 men at $10 per hour means only $50,000 a day!!!!!
67 - Peter Bruijns
Make that $500,000 a day.
68 - Peter Bruijns
One last remark! When I hear something like $500,000,000 a day being spent I try to put that into practical terms. A family of 5 spends about $250 a week in food. If 10,000 families of 5 were stranded in New Orleans they could be fed with $2,500,000 a week. If we bought 1,000 small boats with motors for $1,000 each we would have $1,000,000 invested all we would need are volunteers and the City would be emptied in less than a day. If we hired 30,000 National Guardsmen at $200 a day we would spend only $6,000,000 a day to police the 50,000 people left. It seems to me that everyone capitalizes on misery...I wonder where exactly this money FEMA is spending goes. Maybe to an over bloated beaurocracy of incompetents perhaps.
69 - Heloise
Yes, I heard Jesse Jackson. I also lived in Chi town, and I am ashamed of his comments. He sounds like the racists he deplores. That stupid excuse for a mayor Nagin is the cause of people dying that did not have to die. The trains are overturned and the busses are under water.
I do know what I am talking about because I was a resident of NOLA and Chicago for years. My mother was born and raised there. It is not pretense on their part. The poor and lowest classes of blacks in NOLA, who have NEVER set foot outside of their hood are truly as ignorant and dark as they seem. No shit.
It is payment for their lack of decades of planning. Hell, they can't plan a day let alone a city's future. We need to stop white-washing a black failure.
70 - trish
I cannot believe this is becoming a race issue. I was so upset when Kanye West appeared on the red cross hurricane relief effort and starting his rambling of untruths and bashing of President Bush....Bush hates blacks?
I personally do not know who or what Bush hates but I can say that I have been watching and praying and waiting for hope to be restored to everyone suffering this unbelievable disaster.
I have watched and cried in disbelief...that this could happen to any of us. BUT...NOT for one second have I noticed color of skin....I have watched and realized that this could be any one of us because nature has no agenda. Kenye West appears on the red cross hurricane relief and instead of requesting help for these people suffering he chose to raise an issue that will only bring about division of the human spirit. SHAME ON YOU...SHAME ON EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS PATHETIC DISPLAY OF FORUM!!!!!!!!!!!!
I will pray for all.
71 - Natalie Davis
Prayers for all is a good idea. Sadly, Ms. Tish, lots of people are laser-focused on the hues of the victims -- just look at media coverage. Beyond that, though, I think most would agree that socioeconomic class is the issue. I hope the nation gets into its collective thick skull how dangerous poverty can be.
72 - Eric Olsen
updated - man, you guys are prolific!
73 - Natalie Davis
Remember the initial collective speechlessness? I guess the levee broke.
74 - Silas Kain
Indeed it has, Ms. Davis. I think even the press is discovering its collective balls again. It's one thing to rally around your leaders when attacked from a foreign enemy. In this case the President will still be able to claim WMD. Only this time it's Weather of Mass Destruction and that won't fly with the press or public.
75 - Michael
Kenye West is a damn idiot. It is ignorant people like him that cause problems.