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Hurricane Katrina

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Senate to investigate hurricane preparedness, response

By David Sharp, Associated Press Writer  |  September 2, 2005

 

Two ranking members of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee called the federal response to the Gulf Coast disaster "an immense failure" and said they will demand that those in charge answer to Congress.

 

"While it is too early to reach conclusions on the response of government to this catastrophe, it is increasingly clear that serious shortcomings in preparedness and response have hampered relief efforts at a critical time," U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Joseph Lieberman said in a statement.

 

Collins, R-Maine, is chairwoman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and Lieberman, D-Conn., is the ranking minority member. They said the committee will investigate actions before and after hurricane Katrinia ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

 

http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/art...dness_response/

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Guest MugumboMcgee

No one seems to want to touch the 'race and class' issue involved in the disaster. It's funny because there has to have been some of that involved in the long delay for relief. I know some racists and even they wouldn't let people that they feel are inferior suffer like that. You don't treat your animals the way the unfortunate New Orleans evacuees were treated.

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I'm not sure who said it (it might have been here), but I'm starting to agree with the feeling that the "Disaster plan" New Orleans officials had was "Evacuate as many as you can, let the city flood, drag out the bodies when the water recedes."

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No one seems to want to touch the 'race and class' issue involved in the disaster. It's funny because there has to have been some of that involved in the long delay for relief. I know some racists and even they wouldn't let people that they feel are inferior suffer like that. You don't treat your animals the way the unfortunate New Orleans evacuees were treated.

 

Kanye West touched it.

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The main thing that I've learned from this hurricane is that Nancy Grace is the worst person on national television.

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A post made by a member on another forum. I don't necessarily agree with it all but it raises some interesting points.

 

in an affluent, comfortable, capitalist society like america, no one gives a fuck about these poor people. behind all they simply don't matter. the rich folk get out of there when something bad happens. this includes the checks and balances, the police, etc. most of us are isolated from this. it's all NFL FOOTBALL REACH FOR THE SKIES BE ALL YOU CAN BE get the new xbox 360! shit.

 

they're in a worse situation than third world or socialist countries. they have no money, no education, they're neglected, and they have their faces rubbed in how rich and awesome american society is, and everything they don't have and never will 24/7.

 

I'm no socialist but since you talk about socialism, in an ideal socialist state, the govt would evacuate everyone themselves. america's establishment genuinely doesn't seem to give a fuck.

 

the security blanket goes, and the infrastructire goes, and they're left to sit and stew like pieces of crap on the shoe of rich people

 

we get the aid efforts treating the people on the ground like dogs. dropping the aid for whoever is the fittest and first there, and buggering off in helicopters. leaving the people who need it - old people, ill people, elderly, young mothers, pregnant women - with nothing.

 

bush talking about BUHGAWD FAITH BASED GROUPS WE'LL REBUILD IT! IT'LL BE ONE HELL OFF A GULF COAST!" He tells us that trent lot's mansion is going to be rebuilt! (he genuinely has no shame whatsoever) some other woman talking about education(wtf?)... meanwhile these people are dying in the street, left to drown because there is no evacuation plan because these very same people cut the funding. and having soldiers and police pointing guns at them for trying to survive by stealing a bottle of water. they are supposed to cheer and feel happy that these symbols of the people who put them in this situation are here?

 

they tell them to meet at a convention centre - and then there's nothing there for them. no medication, nthing. so it became a concentration/refugee camp, in essence.

 

no wonder they're fucking pissed. no wonder they're shooting shit. i'm surprised there hasn't been a full scale riot yet.

 

and here's what they should have done. get the military and rescue workers in there, and get the fit young men on their side. then you make sure they are fed and watered - but you make them work their balls off for it. they are the ones who do the foraging/looting, and they do it where they are told to and when they are told to. what they bring back gets given to those who need it - there's enough in that city i am certain.

 

it's utterly shambolic that 'THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH, which meddles in everyone else's affairs, tells everyone else what to do, and generally acts like a spoilt, whiny brat, has reacted to this in such a chaotic manner. you weren't ready for it.

 

the memory of an armed police man pointing a gun at someone for trying to get food, while TWO BLOCKS AWAY, masses of people were left dying in the streets, will live with me forever.

 

if this treatment of america's poor isn't the end of the republican movement for many many years, then i give up being human. because it shows that, ultimately, we're all fucked.

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When he broke the "George Bush doesn't care about black people" out of nowhere, it felt like a sketch.

 

And I laughed, hard.

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Lt. Gen. Honore a 'John Wayne dude'

Commander of relief effort in New Orleans takes charge

 

Friday, September 2, 2005; Posted: 10:07 p.m. EDT (02:07 GMT)

 

 

Lt. Gen. Russel Honore barks at troops as a convoy arrives Friday in dowtown New Orleans.

 

(CNN) -- New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin calls Lt. Gen. Russel Honore a "John Wayne dude" who can "get some stuff done."

 

"He came off the doggone chopper, and he started cussing and people started moving," Nagin said in an interview Thursday night with a local radio station.

 

The three-star general directed the deployment of an estimated 1,000 National Guard troops from a New Orleans street corner Friday, making it clear that it was a humanitarian relief operation. Getting food and water to the people at the city's convention center was a difficult process, Honore said.

 

"If you ever have 20,000 people come to supper, you know what I'm talking about. If it's easy, it would have been done already."

 

Honore recognizes that storm victims have waited days for relief, and his troops are trying to get them out of the city and into a more comfortable environment.

 

"Our number one task is to deal with the concentration of people in New Orleans, as well as those that are isolated. And we're going to get after it," he said.

 

The general acknowledged that frustration, and in some cases lawlessness, is building.

 

"By-and-large, these are families that are just waiting to get out of here. They are frustrated; I would be, too. I get frustrated at the cash register counter when the paper runs out."

 

Hundreds of National Guard and active duty troops are carrying weapons in the city. But the way they carried those guns was a concern to the general.

 

He ordered all he encountered to point their weapons down, said CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr, who was with the general. Honore repeatedly went up to military vehicles, National Guardsmen standing sentry and even to New Orleans police officers, telling them to please point their weapons down and reminding them that they were not in Iraq.

 

Honore commands the 1st Army, based at Fort Gillem in Forest Park, Georgia, outside Atlanta.

 

The general is a native of Lakeland, Louisiana, which is northwest of Baton Rouge. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in vocational agriculture from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge in 1971. Honore was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the infantry upon graduation. He also has a master's degree in human resources from Troy State University.

 

He has served in a number of infantry command positions and at the Pentagon. Before taking command of the 1st Army, Honore commanded the Standing Joint Force Headquarters-Homeland Security, U.S. Northern Command.

 

Honore's daughter and other relatives live in New Orleans, but he has not seen them since he arrived in town.

 

"The priority is on this mission, getting these people out of here," he said.

 

The general came to rescue of one young mother trying to carry her twin babies down the street in the terrible heat and humidity of New Orleans, Starr reported. The mother was so exhausted the children were almost falling out of her arms.

 

The general went up to the woman and took both of her babies, handing them off to soldiers to carry, as he promised the mother that they were going to get her some help. The troops helped the three hurricane victims to a Coast Guard ship, where they were treated for exhaustion and dehydration.

 

Honore said he wants his troops' profile in New Orleans to be that of humanitarian relief operations, leaving the law enforcement role to the local police.

 

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vert.honore.ap.jpg

 

My prediction is he's going to come out of this whole situation as New Orleans' version of Rudy Giuliani. The whole situation hasn't had a lot of things, but one of them is a leader. Whether it's because people haven't gotten the opportunity or because no one has the skills and character to do so, it's about time someone steps up to the plate and starts to kick some ass.

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Guest Brian
No one seems to want to touch the 'race and class' issue involved in the disaster. It's funny because there has to have been some of that involved in the long delay for relief. I know some racists and even they wouldn't let people that they feel are inferior suffer like that. You don't treat your animals the way the unfortunate New Orleans evacuees were treated.

 

Kanye West touched it.

 

God, that was one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life. Timing, story. A billion stars.

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No one seems to want to touch the 'race and class' issue involved in the disaster. It's funny because there has to have been some of that involved in the long delay for relief. I know some racists and even they wouldn't let people that they feel are inferior suffer like that. You don't treat your animals the way the unfortunate New Orleans evacuees were treated.

 

Kanye West touched it.

 

God, that was one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life. Timing, story. A billion stars.

 

I agree. I love that clip of Myers just aiminglessly reading off the telepromter and then hearing West at the end, coming from the heart.

 

That took some balls.

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Guest Fishyswa

That was classic. Even Chris Tucker had that "what is this crazy negro doing..." look on his face.

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I'm not sure who said it (it might have been here), but I'm starting to agree with the feeling that the "Disaster plan" New Orleans officials had was "Evacuate as many as you can, let the city flood, drag out the bodies when the water recedes."

 

 

I know I brought it up but I'm sure someone else did as well. It just feels like the money received was used for corpse handling gloves and body bags. And when the storm turned, they were literally left with a "oh shit, now what do with do?!?!" feeling. Course if they keep up how they are doing things, the body bags may sadly become needed in a very bad way.

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Guest Brian

Did you read the last line?

 

Help your fellow human beings in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast!  The Federal Government sure isn't!

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On a more serious note, I can't get over how pathetic it is that he wasted valuble air time to spew his own personal opinions. I don't think he understands why is is there, among other things.

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