Tonight's Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech in Denver by Barack Obama was remarkable. He showed why he is the nominee with a visionary and tough performance about what he will do to turn around this country. He is truly an inspiration.
Three years ago today Hurricane Katrina made landfall near the Louisiana-Mississippi border, and it soon became apparent what happens when the federal government is unprepared or indifferent in time of need.
With the advance of Tropical Storm Gustav across the Caribbean Sea this week - it presents an opportunity to consider how Democrat Barack Obama or Republican John McCain would have handled the Katrina disaster. I believe Barack would have been on the ground within hours and would have marshaled the government's resources to save lives. Barack even mentioned the government's tepid response to Katrina in his speech. He wouldn't have made excuses, but instead took the action that was needed. Lame fools wouldn't have been in charge of FEMA either.
I can still vividly remember the embarrassment and rage I felt as I watched the events unfold on my TV screen the horrible suffering in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
These were fellow Americans, human beings neglected and forgotten, left to wilter away in the hot, humid sun. Many dying or being preyed upon.
And where was the government?...where was FEMA? Those are the questions that haunted a lot of us.
They were nowhere to be found...making excuses...passing the blame...passing the buck...
yeah..."Good job...Brownie"...you saved NO ONE....
New Orleans is still dying a slow death today...a great city and its people neglected...by fools that have turned our heritage and great culture into a cesspool of rage and disappointment...
we're in this thing together...when will we (and the politicians!!) ever get that point...
This city has given us so much...so much great music and great culture...
and yet we can just let it die? we can just turn our backs and ignore it??
I don't think Obama will let that happen....
In the meantime...here's my feelings about this tragedy...in a poem..
GP
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POLITICIANS MAKING EXCUSES
No relief.
No one had our backs.
No safety net.
Now, we know we're
truly on our own.
Listening to politicians making excuses
as we fester and burn
our homes washed away.
Our lives in ruins.
Got no hope.
Our dreams reduced to devastation.
Scenes of a third world country
in the heart of America.
And still politicians making excuses.
Our hearts in ruins.
Living like animals in the Superdome.
No room.
No air conditioning in the suffocating heat.
No water.
No food.
No hope.
A sweltering hellish nightmare.
And still politicians are making excuses
as our city lies in ruins.
Now, we know.
We're truly
on our own.
George Pappas
Copyright 2008
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