It is time for an opinion from South Louisiana. Fellows, this a first for recorded disasters in the U.S., and certainly a first for our generation. My family has been through countless hurricanes, but nothing like this. It is time to stop and really take a good, long and hard look at what has happened and what people are saying. This has absolutely nothing to do with corrupt politics, democrats or republicans. This is the most immense natural disaster in U.S. history and its not over yet. Who can possibly judge reaction time -- good or bad, fast or slow, effective or useless -- if this horror is unprecedented? The best we can do now is send what ever you can in monetary donations and offer prayers. I have a good friend who volunteered to go out to New Orleans in his boat. He found and recovered several people from roof tops and elsewhere. But the chilling thing he told me was that along the way he tied human bodies to stop signs or whatever he could find to attach the bodies to. His superiors told him there was plenty of time later to count dead bodies; search and rescue was the primary goal. As far as comments regarding the "class of people" you see that are in the city, I can tell you why. When the mandatory evacuation order was given, a vast percentage of the population got of the city. They had the means, money and the ability to travel. The people who stayed were the poor, the homeless, and those in desperate need of medical attention. That is who you see on TV and it makes the nation think that is the entire New Orleans population. Yes, I know there was looting; but some of it was in desperation for food and water. As far as the "thugs" who did steal firearms, TV's, drugs, etc., I feel exactly the same as the rest of the country; they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. Please realize that looting is not the only thing going on; there are tremendously good efforts happening in the city by so many brave and courageous people. Unfortunately, what the media does not show enough of is the thousands of volunteers and citizens of Louisiana who have risen to the call to help their neighbors in need. We are good people in Louisiana, and we appreciate the help of all the people in other states who have assisted in our time of crisis, and those who are continuing to do so daily. This is far from being over.
This is my first visit to a soap box.
Mike
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