Sunday, September 18, 2005
Well said
Nykola has outlined Katrina events, natural and otherwise. Blessedly free of hysterics, politics and emotion.
Permalink | 
| posted by jau at 2:10 AM
— at 10:01 AM, September 19, 2005:
jau — at 10:08 AM, September 19, 2005:
| posted by jau at 2:10 AM
3 more:
— at 10:01 AM, September 19, 2005:
I think what happened, partly, is that the poverty in New Orleans was a huge surprise to most of us, especially seeing it in so many such stark images thanks to cable tv. I know I felt overwhelmed. I don't think I realized there was so much poverty so close to the fun and all in New Orleans, or what living very poor meant. It was scary and awful.
But I also think we have to separate empathy and sadness from analysis of the factual and legal events. And there needs to be LOTS of good analysis in order to be sure there's better and quicker results next time, wherever it's needed.
And our empathy maybe made us not realize (or forget) that governmental responses are set up by law. (Maybe that's the first thing that should be changed?) As it is now, relief must occur at the smallest (village/city) level and work up to state and then federal level unless requests are specifically made to the next higher entity. Governors are forbidden by law from intervening until a town/city requests assistance and federal intervention is illegal unless requested by a state. That's why some governors declare "federal states of emergency" so quickly; it's not that they're alarmists, it's a legally required formality for obtaining federal assistance.
So I guess, to me, it's factual to say that the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana waited way too long (because the mayor put off using the school buses and it was Wednesday before the governor requested federal troops) and therefore failed their citizens.
But I also think we have to separate empathy and sadness from analysis of the factual and legal events. And there needs to be LOTS of good analysis in order to be sure there's better and quicker results next time, wherever it's needed.
And our empathy maybe made us not realize (or forget) that governmental responses are set up by law. (Maybe that's the first thing that should be changed?) As it is now, relief must occur at the smallest (village/city) level and work up to state and then federal level unless requests are specifically made to the next higher entity. Governors are forbidden by law from intervening until a town/city requests assistance and federal intervention is illegal unless requested by a state. That's why some governors declare "federal states of emergency" so quickly; it's not that they're alarmists, it's a legally required formality for obtaining federal assistance.
So I guess, to me, it's factual to say that the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana waited way too long (because the mayor put off using the school buses and it was Wednesday before the governor requested federal troops) and therefore failed their citizens.
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jau — at 10:08 AM, September 19, 2005:
Hey, Samantha and Anonymous - thanks for your comments! I love having "discussions" here.
I agree that things were awful in NO but the reasons seem to be so many peoples' responsibility (don't forget the levee board members are under indictment for their own shenanigans!).
About words, what neutral words would you use? I thought wait and fail were simply descriptive of "time passing" and "not working" but what would you substitute if you wanted to be non political? I seriously would like my own language to be as neutral as possible unless I want it to be otherwise, so I'm really asking.
I agree that things were awful in NO but the reasons seem to be so many peoples' responsibility (don't forget the levee board members are under indictment for their own shenanigans!).
About words, what neutral words would you use? I thought wait and fail were simply descriptive of "time passing" and "not working" but what would you substitute if you wanted to be non political? I seriously would like my own language to be as neutral as possible unless I want it to be otherwise, so I'm really asking.
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