The Citizens of New Orleans
The press, Democrats and Republicans have continued to blame the federal government for the problems that occurred in New Orleans in the days after hurricane Katarina ran roughshod of the city. A few lay all blame on state and local officials. The blame game goes on day after day.
Assigning blame when anything doesn't go as expected is a game played that many feel qualified to play - even if they know nothing of the actual circumstances or what state and federal laws affected what happened. I think one group that has been overlooked by all in the Katerina aftermath. What about the citizens of New Orleans themselves. Here are 100,000+ people, living in a city that is at least 6 feet below sea level, surrounded by the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. The state is on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, a place known by all as a breeding ground for hurricanes. By sheer luck, New Orleans has been 'spared' a direct hit of a category 3 or greater hurricane in the last 40 years. With these circumstances, why wouldn't a citizen of New Orleans take the time to determine how they will evacuate when the BIG-ONE inevitably hits. Doesn't each and every resident of this city have to take personal responsibility for their own safety?!?
People have to stop blaming everyone else for their problems and take responsibility for their own lives and personal safety. For those living in New Orleans without personal transportation, it was foolhardy to not have made plans -in advance - as to how they would travel to safety when the BIG-ONE hit. To have ignored the possibility of eventually being faced with a major storm and not have, in advance, made plans to travel to safety was the height of stupidity and they have only themselves to blame for the predicament they found themselves in.
9/10/05 ( 376 )
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