nola

Right, well I haven't done much blogging lately, partly because I'm very busy with the school year about to start and all, and partly because I'm following the news on Katrina and New Orleans and I'm feeling speechless and angry and helpless. I'm particularly ticked off with people who claim that this isn't the time for politics and finger-pointing, because it is exactly the time. Because this is what happens when you put a bad government in power, and because we all need to understand whose fault this is. Nobody could have prevented the hurricane, but the disaster that came after was foreseen by many, and people in power consciously chose to do nothing, and people without power were simply left to die.

People in Europe are aghast at the neglect on display. The US has the money, the infrastructure, to minimize the damage done by natural disasters, as poorer countries don't. (Note, however, that even Cuba and Venezuela offered help.) That they simply decided not to use it is criminal. NOLA mayor Ray Nagin, in a radio interview, was asked what we ordinary people can do. He didn't ask for money - there is money, it's just not getting there. He didn't ask for helping hands, either - they also exist, they're just not where they're needed. What he wants from us is to write to our lawmakers and hold them accountable. He wants us to make sure that they know that we know how preventable this was, and we want to know why it wasn't prevented. I'll be contacting my senators, but I would really appreciate if those of you who have Republican senators and representatives would take the time to ask a few pointed questions.

Here's the Nagin interview.