The Hurricane Katrina Blame Game

The Blame Game

I know it won't be popular but I'm going to toss my two cents in anyways over the blame frenzy that's been going on in the aftermath. You know I'm always willing to risk a nice flaming if it's what I honestly think.

I understand the Bush-bashing that's been going on, I see that he made some costly decisions, especially when adhering to red tape issues that affected response time. But is it possible that people be FAIR in their bashing? Save some of those hits with the blame mallet for people like Governor Kathleen Blanco. Or is she off-limits because she's a Democrat AND a woman? I don't know how this person ever became governor of a state if she needs to be babysat before and after a crisis in HER state. She should resign simply for being stupid enough to request 24 hours to make a decision on Bush and Mayor Nagin's agreed plans.

Checking on levees before a storm, fixing levees that may have been broken, pumping stations that have to be protected so they don't go underwater, those responsibilities shouldn't fall on anyone other than Louisiana officials starting with Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin of New Orleans. Yeah I said it. I don't understand people who expect the President of the United States to run around asking if levees are up to par, but don't expect the Governor of that state and the Mayor of that city to do it. We might as well be saying that there's no point to having Governors and Mayors elected in the first place, just have the President do their jobs.

And let's not forget the head of FEMA, who wasn't aware that people were stuck in the convention center and who refused corporate offers of truckloads of bottled water prior to the flooding. And how he *insert a variety of incompetent choices here* (didn't want to add to the white noise.) It seems that the breakdown in the efficiency of FEMA can be attributed to the fact that it was folded into Homeland Security. So some blame needs to be tossed over to their director as well. Which means we can blame the President because he hired them, but it also means we can blame the voters of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans for electing such fuckwad officials.

Also, people need to make a choice. Is the President to blame because he waited too long to send in the National Guard and the military or because he sent them in period and now people think they have a "license to kill" whoever they want? Because it's one or the other. The same people who are saying that it took too long to respond are also upset that the response included the National Guard and the military. But Mayor Nagin ASKED FOR THEM. They went in with orders to hold their guns at an abnormally passive stance, which is a risk to themselves but it was their orders.

To me, the willingness of the higher-ups to put soldiers at risk purely for political correctness and public relations says that they weren't, as Kanye West put it, "given permission to go down and shoot us" without provocation I'm assuming he meant. Because anyone who shoots AT policemen or National Guardsmen or soldiers deserves to be shot. Yeah again, I said it. Incidentally, I want to give props to West for calling himself a hypocrite because he said he saw the news coverage of the catastrophe and went shopping, when he hadn't even made a donation yet. Celebrities aren't usually willing to admit things like that. Though it makes me question his mentality a little, who watches such tragic footage then goes "Hey, I need a new shirt." But as upset as he was on television, I don't see how inflammatory comments that can't actually be proven will help anyone. President Bush may not care about black people but then by the same token neither do Governor Blanco and Mayor Nagin.

Also, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say there is nothing wrong with criticizing the people that chose to wait out the storm rather than obey the MANDATORY evacuation. If you're going to criticize officials for not being ready for the storm, even with the advance warning, then you should also be ready to criticize the people who received advanced warning but chose to ignore it. Not everyone left in New Orleans was without a car, bus fare or hotel fees. There were quite a few people evacuated (black people, white people, red people, green people) who said they had chosen to wait out the storm. All the resources and time spent rescuing those people could have been directed earlier towards rescuing the people who didn't have the option of getting into their cars or climbing onto a bus on the information of possibilities and probabilities.

Oh and to the media, here's a nice big FUCK YOU. Way to contribute to the frenzy and emotion with sensationalistic coverage and pictures which label black people as "looters" and white people as "food finders." What the hell is a food finder for God's sake. The definition of "loot" as applicable is "stolen goods." So everyone who takes from a store whether it be bread, milk, televisions, lavender dresses, or whatever are looters. Can it be argued that looting certain things are necessary and looting others are not? Of course. But they're all looters. I can't think of what a "food finder" might be except that one guy on the Food Network who hosts the show "Food Finds." He's a food finder.

Last but not least, enough already about gas prices. Yes, they're high. Yes, there's no logical reason for them to be high it's just panic pricing. But it could be worse, you and everything you own could be underwater.

Alright, flame on.