Originally posted by 00PS
Enron~~~
You are the most senior member to reply to this post and I have respect for you both as a member of the community and as a poster here. (Oh and
you're a moderatore but I think I knew you ((online)) before you were one so this has nothing to do with that...
Thank you for those kind words
Point I'd like to say is that I'm not complaining that they're carring guns but why is it a federal response.
Why aren't states equipped to deal with these things? Failure? Yes.....
I was watching Larry King Live last night....He interviewed Mayor Ray Nagin regarding the progress in New Orleans...
One of the things Mr Nagin mentioned is that in the future, he wishes to see to it that he won't have to wait on a heavily armed federal presence to
get the job done - He intends on having the equipment and the man-power needed to address this issue at the local level...
The situation in New Orleans has set a precedent....Where we once had hopes and assumptions, we know have grime facts and fears...
Myself, being in the field of prevention, can tell you that most people choose to ignore the scholarly suggestions and simply learn from their
mistakes...
Prior to this event - bar any random acts of god - counties and cities all across the nation have been lured into a relatively snug and secure false
sense of security....THIS is the eye-opener, and from henceforth I wouldn't at all be surprised if the small-town/big-city response plans get a
seriously swift kick into action and preparation...
I think the simplest way to put it would be denial...Or perhaps ignorance...Because these people knew exactly what was going to happen...
I also read some reports from survivors, that when they shouted for help to police officers and military personnel in boats driving by them while they
were stranded on rooftops, the authorities did nothing, most of the time they ignored the survivors shouting for help, some even told female survivors
to flash their boobs for help.
FEMA also said no to the Red Cross, refused truckloads of water from Wal-Mart, refused foreign aid, sabotaged communications etc. etc. you call that
helping?
While I'd agree that a primary goal of there's is (and should be) protecting property...The other things you've mentioned here are isolated
events....
They speak loud and clear when viewed as distinct sequences in a much larger spectrum of events....And if they prove to be true, will no doubt be
seriously dealt with over time...
But with something this wide-spread, to focus in on just one detail in such a massive picture, really takes away form the overall emphasis one should
be getting...
Improvements are being made....The sloppy handling of the situation during the first few days is no becoming much more precise, although by no means
perfect...
Progress IS being made by people like you and I who do care....Whether they have a gun in their hands or not, the majority of these people on the
ground are not using their power in a corrupt manner....That's a human element you simply cannot ignore....Regardless of how inhumane a handful of
people may respond...