KATRINA

 

 

 

 

IF they call the wind Marriah, then the perfect hurricane is called KARTINA. As most people, I have been glued to the television for several days. I have seen many an anguished face, young, old, sick, well, all DESPARATE!  I can't in good consiousness blame the State of LA. the city of New Orleans, the State of Mississippi, or the State of Alabama. I can't even blame the federal goverment. I blame ONE thing and that is the hurricane called KATRINA. I really don't think any levey or city could have survived intact with Katrina. BESIDES, playing the blame game never solves anything. If there is one thing that I have learned about government, it  is to pay closer attention to local goverment and vote in local elections.So let the politicans blame whoever they want to....there is REAL work to be done now. 

My husband had the opportunity to talk to a FEMA man yesterday. He was headed back down to Mississippi today. He said that government officials and FEMA were in Mississippi the Friday before the hurricane to warn people to get out THEN. The younger ones laughed at them and the older ones had said they had been through Camile and lived to tell about it. (I can understand this in part because living in KS we have our share of tornadoes, but it's not going to hit OUR house.) The storm surge was so bad that it destoryed everything in its path for 6 miles into land and several states long. Camile was very bad, but it had a narrow path in comparrison.

If I lived in New Orleans and had my family there, my business there, would I have left? It's easy for me to say yes, because I have a car and a healthy respect for Mother Nature. I would pack up my car, throw in Luke the Wonder Dog and pray that Doc decides to join us. I like to think that is what I would do, but when it comes right down to it, maybe none of us would know what we would do until it happens to us. I know if I had to leave my husband, animals, son or grandkids behind, I just don't think I could do it.

I have watched too much coverage on television. It has left me emotionally drained and I haven't any direct involvment. I can't imaginge what some families now must be going through. I have alsonoticed that a few reporters are just worn out and sufferring from what they have seen and what they are NOT able to do to help.  There are a couple of them that are showing signs of Post Tramatic Stress Disorder and I think need to be pulled out of there. They have witnessed in a few days time what most people never can imagine or live through in a lifetime. When you are going through this you tend to paint things of a more hopeless perspective. I also heard somebody say if they heard one more group of politicians thanking each other or praising EACH OTHER, they were going to throw up! I kind of feel that way too.

Something of a larger concern is haunting me now. The REAL storm....the storm of humanity crying for help. The aids epidemic happening in Africa, the conflict in the middle East, the many starving countries in the world. I have long felt that it takes apocolypic tragedies to make mankind change. We don't volunteer to do this on our own now do we?

I do believe in AMERICA.I believe in the goodness of people. I believe that we will help in whatever way we can, with whatever means we can. My thoughts and prayers are with the thousands who are suffering. May they soon have water, food, saftey, shelter and a  plan to continue their lives.