The Bold-Face of Katrina Immorality

Let’s Get Past Diluting the Disaster with Words
Yet Once We Know Who The Enemy Is, It May Be Us

The U.S. population is fed a lot of misinformation through radio, TV, newspapers, and the Internet. It’s about language, how things are defined or described. Words seem to equate with national reaction, selectively to inflame or paralyze it.

A poignant example is attacking the sovereign nation of Iraq, which was not about exterminating the Al Qaeda or stopping an imminent deployment of weapons of mass destruction. The subsequent rationale of Iraq's “liberation” or imposing democracy never held water, otherwise why hasn't America invaded other totalitarian regimes in the mid-east, let alone in Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. Instead, America is invading and occupying a sovereign country for reasons beyond that of national security, such as capitalism and oil. This type of activity certainly wasn’t acceptable when Japan, Germany, Italy, North Vietnam, and other country’s did it. Why would it be acceptable for the USA? However, the Press dilutes serious criticism through mimicing the political dismay on patriotism. That is, the Press misinforms, and by dissolving issues into clouds of competition between Elephant and Donkey, they no longer seem of great concern. Otherwise, the citizens of this country wouldn’t just stand by when the immoral and unjust are happening so flagrantly. Or would we?

“Houston Wants Katrina Evacuees to Move On” is a Newsweek headline. This is misinformation because it’s talking about a symptom and not the cause. Evacuees are “persons who’ve been ordered or authorized to move from a place of danger by competent authorities, and whose movements and accommodation are planned, organized and controlled by such authorities.” FEMA, an arm of the United States government was responsible for the transportation of New Orleans citizens to Houston. However, it would be wholly inaccurate to claim that FEMA represents a competent authority, and it certainly did not plan for or organize accommodation in the short or long-term. FEMA wanted to evict tens of thousands of displaced New Orleans citizens from hotels shortly after they arrived in Houston, although legal intervention stayed their action until last month, and then they were. Transported citizens could have moved into 60,000 mobile homes and trailers; however, federal and local government couldn’t pull it together. Instead, FEMA abandoned thousands and thousands of people in Houston, as if Houston became the competent authority.

Of course the city of Houston is growing tired of becoming permanently accountable for the United States’ responsibility to the New Orleans citizens involuntarily relocated by FEMA. The people of New Orleans just experienced near obliteration by hurricane Katrina’s impact on the man-made levees, and went along with it. Moms and dads, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends, colleagues, grandmothers and grandfathers, just like the people of Houston, and the city opened its doors to the people of the New Orleans catastrophe. Houston would ensure people’s safety and security until longer-term solutions were found. Yet once Houston volunteered, it became akin to receiving a gift, and a third of the New Orleans population arrived without governmental plan for the short or long-term. Drop a couple hundred thousand people bereft of any personal information, records, or property, into any city tomorrow and see how long the welcome lasts.

It isn’t the displaced citizens of New Orleans fault either. It’s very difficult to “create life after death.” Ever try to apply for something without the required information? Like getting a job, buying a home, seeing a doctor, it isn’t easy to do or simple to resolve. Then have no car or phone, no files, bank statements, tax returns, records, and no clothing, food, appliances, toiletries, checkbooks, tools, computers, pens or paper. People were transported to Houston from New Orleans with nothing. Many were elderly; many “fell” into lower middle-class to poor “socioeconomic categories.” The assistance and support to reclaim their lives simply is not there. Get on a bus tomorrow in your weekend clothes, go to another city, bring nothing with you, and begin your life anew. Wouldn’t that be challenging?

Houston and New Orleans are the major cities of two states of the federation known as the United States of America. The federal government is responsible for the safety and security of its citizens. This is national security from the inside. The preservation of the security of the Nation from its enemies, foreign and domestic, is both the obligation of government and one of the foremost reasons for government to exist.

Many articles, newscasts, and political speeches pour out selective stories on New Orleans recovery and rebuilding. In truth, no relief has ever happened for over 200,000 people. America has excuses to turn away. These are not wealthy, rich, or upper middle class people. The vast majority were employed. Many won’t appear on the cover of Vogue or GQ. Old or fat or unkempt or missing teeth are not desirable characteristics in our society. They’re the butt of jokes. The majority of displaced citizens are black/African Americans. From Willie Lynch to the “Jim Crow” laws and beyond, racism is a fact in the United States. A lot has changed, yet from sea to shining sea there is nothing like the South. This capitalistic democracy eschews poverty and the "lower class," emulates wealth, and distances from African Americans.

The United States and her people, like Houston, should step-up for fellow citizens now displaced by hurricanes Katrina, Rita, the man-made levee and recovery failures. In a representative democracy, even politicians will respond to the citizenry. A minority of the people vote and win elections, because the “silent-majority” stays out of it. Whatever one’s political orientation (or lack thereof), government is ultimately accountable to its citizens. One call, one email, one letter to your elected representative, multiplied by millions, would turn this situation around.

The Bold-Face of Katrina Immorality

Friday, April 07, 2006

The Bold-Face of Katrina Immorality

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