Should Katrina Victims Share Blame ??

Jeannine

It has been a few days since I raged and cried for the victims. It has been a few days since I cursed our government and became forever disgusted with their actions. It has been a few days since I made my Red Cross and animal rescue donations. I've done all I can do from where I am. I have PLENTY of compassion for the victims. Nobody deserves to starve to death, dehydrate, defecate on a floor in a huge public crowd, bake in the sun, get raped, and whatever else happened to the victims long after Katrina passed by. Katrina did some damage.....society did the rest. Having said that, I still hold many of these victims partly responsible for what happened to them. They should have evacuated. I am sick and tired of hearing that they were "too poor" to evacuate and didn't have cars. Or, "too elderly". Many elderly people could have evacuated with family members but were TOO STUBBORN. I keep hearing reports of family members that begged and pleaded with their elderly relatives to evacuate with them. Many of these elderly people thought that just because they are 1 million years old and lived through 50 more powerful hurricanes (of course I am exaggerating), that they could survive Katrina. The City provided buses prior to the storm to pick up the elderly. Many, many elderly did not take those buses. Yes, the buses were only taking people to the soon-to-be-doomed Superdome, but nobody predicted the horrors there. So, the elderly that didn't get on those buses were simply stubborn in their ways. The City provided a telephone number for the elderly and disabled to call to be picked up by these buses if they couldn't make it to the pickup locations. As for the "poor", yet able-bodied adults.....give me a break. Anyone of them that really wanted to flee, could have. If a Cat 5 storm was heading my way and I had children living with me BELOW SEA LEVEL in a city that has been warned about the levees breaking....I would be out of there. I would walk with my kids if I had to. I know that is easier said than done, but in a life or death situation most of us can do it. The same "will to survive" that exists after a tragic event is the same "will to survive" that can exist prior to the tragic event. How many of the "poor" do you think spent the day before the hurricane buying their supplies of cigarettes and liquor ? Not all of them...but some sure did. The Superdome was said to be filled with crack pipes. How many of the "poor" do you think spent the day before the hurricane buying their supply of crack cocaine? Not all of them...but a few did. How many of the "poor" sat around in the days before the hurricane laughing about it and downplaying Katrina's approach because they didn't want to spend whatever money they did have trying to get out of town? I am not saying that these people should have come up with a few hundrend bucks to flee to an out-of-state Ritz Carlton. All I am talking about is GET TO HIGHER GROUND, even if that higher ground is just a few miles from where your particular house is. Thousands of people did not even attempt to get to the Superdome prior to the hurricane, which proves that they did not take this seriously. Nobody needed money to get to the Superdome. Transportation was free. The Superdome initially only took in 9,000 people during the storm. What does that tell us ? That tells us that those people who remained in their homes either drowned, or became another victim stuck on the highway overpass with no food or water for days, or are still stuck in their homes, or finally joined in at the Superdome after the storm and wading through filthy water for a few miles. I understand that the same horrible conditions occured at the Superdome and Convention Center to those that heeded the initial warning to evacuate, but I am not debating which groupd actually suffered more. I am just pointing out that it is easy to see what a majority of these people were really thinking (or not thinking) when they were told to evacuate from town or evacuate to the Superdome. Many CHOOSE not to. Those that choose to remain in their homes probably would have made the same choice even if they were wealthy people. In fact, many people with money decided to remain in their homes also. They too, are suffering now. There were also tourists that had a way out of town prior to Katrina, yet decided to "ride out the storm" because they didn't want to cut their vacation short. I am starting not to feel bad for many of these people anymore. Some deserve sympathy....but many don't. I think stupidity and indifference on the part of the victims played a huge part. Ok, I am done venting.

tetrapod.sapien

of course, it's all weight in favour of the non-existence of any gods, and the general stupidity and short-sightedness of pretty much all humans.

regarding the response of your government: it of course, is part and parcel with their general worldview. new orleans or sudan, the most powerful government in the world only really care about their own W.A.S.P. - pink asses.

TS

Simon

You are assuming that they had a choice.

Some brits who had just returned were on the radio today saying that they wanted to leave and tried to leave but there was no way to leave. Simply no transport.

If you are poor and don't have a vehicle, how are you supposed to leave?

Robdar

How about dividing your "vent" into paragraphs for an easier read?

sonnyboy

That's one of the biggest blocks of text I have ever seen.

What was the topic again?

bisous

How many of the "poor" do you think spent the day before the hurricane buying their supplies of cigarettes and liquor ? Not all of them...but some sure did. The Superdome was said to be filled with crack pipes. How many of the "poor" do you think spent the day before the hurricane buying their supply of crack cocaine? Not all of them...but a few did.

Many elderly people could have

As for the "poor", yet able-bodied adults.....give me a break. Anyone of them that really wanted to flee, could have

I am just pointing out that it is easy to see what a majority of these people were really thinking (or not thinking) when they were told to evacuate from town or evacuate to the Superdome. Many CHOOSE not to. Those that choose to remain in their homes probably would have made the same choice even if they were wealthy people.

Wow, that's a lot of would haves, could haves, and po' folks generalizations (and I didn't even copy ALL of them from your run on sentence of a paragraph of a rant).

Do you live there? are these your personal observations or more gross generalizations made from watching one or two TV channels? There are so many inaccuracies, generalizations and what not in this post it pains one to attempt to digest it.

You sit in your comfy home and postulate about what YOU would have done if YOU were there. You weren't. It takes a lot of nerve to sit in judgement on others like this. Especially in the disaster situation they are all in.

Robert K Stock

If I have to evacuate on foot I will. If I am sick or infirm I will die trying to save my life rather then sit idly by and patiently wait for death.

Yes, I do blame the victims.

However, the heaviest blame falls on the Mayor and city officials of New Orleans. They are the ones who refused to plan, they are the ones who refused to reinforce the levees, they are the ones who let over 500 buses sit in a parking lot while telling people to gather in the death trap of the Superdome,they are the ones most responsible for the anarchy and misery.

Jeannine

You guys are right. My post was too long and too harsh on the victims. I just needed to vent. Anyway, just to let you know...I have always been poor and I have always been black. I have lived through several hurricanes. I evacuated to the local high school each time. It didn't cost me a dime. The point of my long, boring, post was: a majority of the people who remained in New Orleans choose not the go to the Superdome prior to the storm. I can't understand why anyone would take a chance in their homes when they are promised safety somewhere else. Let's forget what ended up occuring at the Superdome after the storm...that is not my issue. The issue is: many people didn't heed the warning. Yes, I feel bad for them. But, they do share in some blame if they got stuck on their roof.

mkr32208

How about this, if you walk 10 miles a day for 3 days you'll be WAY out of the city, 10 miles is not that far! Oh wait they COULDN'T walk George W Bush needed to be there to CARRY them out...

stillajwexelder

If you are poor and don't have a vehicle, how are you supposed to leave?

NORMAN TEBBIT

Should Katrina Victims Share Blame ??

Share this