Too Much to Capture

So I had a lot I wanted to blog about... about my feelings and reactions to the news over the last few days. But it's a lot to formulate into coherent thoughts, and I'm just not up to it at the moment.

A Modicum of Relief

Suffice to say that I do feel a certain sense of relief with the most recent of developments. And I think that's been part of my fascination this past week: a compelling need to worry about all of them... those at the SuperDome and Rec Center, packed together in appalling conditions with little or no food and water to share between them... those trapped in hospitals, the most susceptible to deteriorating and unsanitary conditions... those still trapped in attics and roofs out in the City, with dwindling supplies... and, of course, the four-legged family members torn out of people's hands because they can't take them onto the buses to Houston. And let's not forget those devastated towns all along the coast just as much in need of food, clean water, fuel and a place to sleep.

But now that help has, indeed, actually begun to arrive... with strong leadership to create order out of chaos, I don't feel quite so tight with worry. The hospitals in New Orleans have now all been evacuated, and the crowds of folks that have been packed like sardines at least have food, water, a few porta-potties, and are beginning to be evacuated in much larger numbers. It's still far from an ideal scenario... folks are still essentially living in the streets until their turn comes to go... thousands of folks are wandering aimlessly on the highway with nowhere to go... families separated everywhere, and too many have no idea where their loves ones are, or if they're still alive.

There's still much to ache for them... but at least I'm not worrying as MUCH about their immediate survival. Most of them, anyway. Wave after wave of helicopters are evacuating thousands of folks, but there are still way too many out stranded in their homes that will soon run out of supplies. And I don't think that the Humane Society has yet been allowed in to start rescuing pets.

So Long to Come

Of course, the huge issue of the day (aside from the actual humanitarian aid) is how LONG that humanitarian aid took to get there. 5 days... 5 days is an AWFUL long time to live like that. I can't blame them for being frustrated and angry. However, trying to assume that race and class was a factor in that lack... that's something I can't accept as true. Now don't get me wrong... I love to see good ol' Dubya and his administration squirm, but I can MUCH more easily lay the blame of ineptitude at his door than indifference to the plight of American Citizens. I NEVER thought the man was a monster... misguided, annoying and sometimes not too bright, but never heartless.

Now, I can certainly see a lot of factors that led UP to the whole crisis existing in the first place, that could most certainly be considered indifference. To the warnings and concerns about the condition of the levees and their inability to handle a Category 4 or higher storm... the selective blindness of the middle or upper classes to the plight of the the poor... the division of races that exists even today. All of that, yes... but my impression of the deplorable response to the crisis is one of EVERYbody being caught with their pants around their ankles, a massive lack of communication, and a rediculous beurocracy of procedures. Not indifference. And the authority that was already THERE was completely and utterly overwhelmed without backup, organization and direction.

Unfortunately, it's a sad thing when you can never be sure whether those raising an outcry are genuinely concerned, or making political hay. The latter of which I think is WAAAY outta order.

More... Later

Amway, guess I was able to get some of it out after all. I also hope to blog soon on some of Katrina's more far-reaching effects. Stuff that I and the entire country are feeling... aside from compassion and an overwhelming desire to help those in immediate need. But that's a whole nother post, and I'm blogged out for today.