The finger pointing is ridiculous

Twenty-four hours before Katrina hit, President Bush was on the scene in Air Force One with the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans. He asked the governor to declare a state of emergency. The governor failed to take quick action, saying that she needed 24 hours to understand the plan. The New Orleans Mayor was understandably angry, saying he wanted them to leave Air Force One with a plan and a clear chain of command. That seems to have been a crucial error on her part and we have a Constitution that limits the role of the federal government—as it should be.

A lot should have happened. New Orleans has an emergency and evacuation plan for a storm and disaster such as Katrina, which is primarily the responsibility of the local government. The New Orleans paper seven weeks ago ran a story declaring that the city of New Orleans’ evacuation plan relied largely on people saving themselves. This week they ran an editorial demanding that everyone at FEMA be fired. Apparently, New Orleans failed to implement their entire evacuation plan. Many New Orleans residents did not evacuate and many taxpayer-purchased school buses, public transportation buses, etc. sat flooded and could have been used to shuttle people out of the city.

Some are trying to exploit the situation either to cover their own rears or for their own political gain. Others are sadly buying into it. I heard one young male Democrat say that this disaster was a racial problem and it was Bush’s fault and the Republican party wants all black people dead, even though the state and city have been led by Democrats for decades.

This is such a sad statement from someone who has been told that their black leaders have their best interest at heart and that they will be taken care of. The “entitlement mentality” that someone else is going to “take care of me” is deadly. People in the ravaged areas from Katrina have been the victims of more than just the storm. While some are angry that the “haves” were able to leave while the “have nots” were hit hard, we have to ask, “What could have prevented this?” It’s a deeper problem than a poorly executed evacuation plan.

In addition to the tragic deaths, looting, etc., now everyone has to endure the finger pointing. What a shame. This sad response of finger pointing from the local government and then the black leaders trying to blame FEMA or the military or the President is ridiculous. As usual, thank God for the military, the private sector, charities and regular decent caring people who don’t need to be re-elected, so they can concentrate on the disastrous task at hand. Shame on the bureaucrats who, instead of taking responsibility, are attempting to use it for their own political gain, with the media lapping it up like thirsty dogs. And, how long does it take to turn a city into a police state anyway? It’s never been done here. Now we know—one week

Fallbrook residents who would still like to help can contact the Red Cross at 1-800-HELP-NOW or the Boys and Girls Clubs of North County at (760) 728-5871.