I was watching the news the other night and found out some very shocking information. I found out that Canada has offered financial aide as well as actual physical aide to the US to help with Hurricane Katrina victims and not one peep has been heard back from the US government. We have many urban search and rescue teams, all volunteers, willing, ready and able to go rescue people but nobody has returned their calls as to where they are needed most. Our military has huge water purification machines, last employed during the tsunami disaster, loaded onto planes ready to fly down but nobody in the US military has replied to their queries as to where they can go. Our government agencies and Prime Minister have made phone calls to the US government and the President asking what is needed and nobody will give out that information.
What is going on!!!??? I thought you guys should know about this. Maybe a call or fax to your local state representative might be in order.
***UPDATE-just on the news: Help is on the way. Planes and boats of supplies are en route from Canada. There will be Search and Rescue folks as well as food/water and transportation available. I don't know how this was co-ordinated but I think things will start to get better overall. The National Guard looks like they are there too. Good news.
Life in the Slow Lane
11 comments:
We certainly look like a lot of ingrates, don't we?
squirl-Bush is just acting all proud. This in not the time to be that way. I don't blame the people but I do wonder about the government.
I'm usually very embarrassed by my government. I didn't vote for this guy. I can't get behind him. He's making us look bad to the world. Again!
Hey Stacey.
I heard today that there are some Vancouver based search and rescue teams down in Louisiana. Heard it on CBC, so I'm guessing it's pretty accurate.
Mrs. B
Don't get me going on this point...I CAN'T believe Bush has brushed aways support offered by Canada when people are dying every minute down there. The situation is a living hell. I feel so ashamed of the leadership of my country.
That breaks my heart, it truly does. Any kind of political pandering is inexcusable at a time like this, but expecially of the sort that delays and/or denies humanitarian aide from any source. Is there any possible explanation of this that would make sense?
Shakin' my head here.
Not that anybody could predict exactly how bad it would have been, but I also keep wondering why more supplies and such were not at the ready to be dropped in as soon as the hurricane was past? Did NOBODY forsee flooding in New Orleans?
mrtl-that is a really good question. I hope that the gov't steps up to the plate here.
squirl-I have to admit, Bush freaks me out. Canadian politics is just as bad but Bush is so public with his wackiness.
Mrs. B -just heard that too. They went down on their own steam without an official invite. I hope they can help out.
easty-I don't understand either. I am sur a lot of countreis have offered help. We are the closest for the most part. I wonder if it is misplaced pride. Like saying the world's richest country doens't need help. Now is not the time to be prideful.
eclectic-the US helps out so many countries in need so I don't understand why the gov't can't accept help when they need it. Lots of people are so happy they can return the favour.
bucky-you'd think that they would have been able to get something going by the 24 hour mark. Several days is just too long. Maybe with other counties' help they could have done something sooner. We will never know.
Glad it's happening now. There is a lot about this nightmare that is inexplicable. Thank you, kranki, for your caring and your sharing of info, and thank you, Canada, for the help. As one of the people, not one of the politicians, I appreciate it all to pieces. We, the people, all do. Truly.
Our government and Bush in particular totally dropped the ball on this. They look like a bunch of idiots. I think Bush's stupidity is spreading throughout the administration. I just can't stand him and he has given me another reason. If those were his rich, white buddies down there dying you can bet he would have gotten help to them a lot quicker. I can't believe we have 4 more years with him. *sigh*
Hello Miss Krankipantzen,
Sorry for my absence (again), but even after connecting a new computer because the old one is beyond redemption, I was not able to open the comments section yesterday. Don't know what is different today, but here I am.
First off, want to say I am soooo jealous of the brownies. The look scrumulescently delicious! Yum, yum, yum. No pun intended when I say "how sweet" of Closet Metro.
Having just been in New Orleans a few months ago, I am so very sad. The delay in assistance is unbelievable. My jaw dropped when I heard the head of FEMA said he didn't even hear about it until Thursday. Does the man live in a cave? Is he legally blind and deaf? If we new about it here in Edmonton, surely...
D called me from Afghanistan (Yes, he managed to hear about it there. They must have better communication than FEMA does) and we talked at length about what has happened. For a soldier who rarely admits to too much emotion, he said he found looking at the pictures very difficult and that he was sick at heart.
Our hearts go out to everyone (everywhere) who were first affected by the storm, then victimized by their fellow citizens and then, their government. We are especially thinking of the New Orleans Jazz Vipers, Charmaine Neville, the driver who took us to the swamp and our guide there, our cabbie who gave us a tour of the Garden District, Paul who did the cemetary tour and is so proud of his city and the gentleman who tried to save us from danger by discouraging us from going on the high speed airboat tour. Also in our thoughts are the cooks at the Camillia Gill, the gals working in the strip clubs on Bourbon Street who were throwing beads off the balcony, and Anne, who ran the cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking. D would remember all the names of those we met, but I'm not as good at that as he is. Without exception, we were treated with kindness, even in the areas we were told not to go to because they were too dangerous.
I cannot imagine what life is like for those who have survived, but could not/cannot get out. I read a comment by a columnist here that Canada sending financial aid would be like giving your millionaire uncle a $50 bill after his house had burned down and that it wouldn't really help because that was not truly the problem anyway. I don't know about that, but I do know that it is one of the few ways people like me can at least do something besides pray. Prayer did not seem to prevent the destruction, or stop the looting, so I am looking for more tangible and immediate means.
My biggest hope is that President Bush will be held accountable. I am not holding my breath. After all, people re-elected him after his first term, which was beyond my comprehension. "They" say people get the leader they deserve, but nobody deserves this.
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