Poor New Orleans

God, how can things in New Orleans really be this bad? Those poor, poor people. I don't have anything scintillating to say about it; I've never been and now I guess in some sense I never will go there. This is an awful tragedy. Does Gov. Blanco really believe this, though?

At a news conference, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco tersely rejected suggestions that authorities had not moved aggressively enough to evacuate the city: "We begged all those people to get out," Blanco said. "Even those with limited circumstances were given the opportunity" to leave."

I don't think that's true. Let's wait a few more days before we start blaming the victims, OK?

Comments

[Cala]

I doubt it's true; or at least, the plan seemed to be to give people that couldn't afford to leave refuge in the Superdome.

Damn damn damn.

[Steve]

"Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco tersely rejected suggestions that authorities had not moved aggressively enough to evacuate the city..."

Ah, but its never to early to blame the governor...

[TomF]

I followed the mayor's efforts from where I am in Mississippi and was amazed it the success they had in evacuating the city. I think the governor's terseness may have been a reaction to the suggestion that local officials hadn't done what they could to empty the city.

I don't know the full story, but there was use of public transportation to get people with no other means out.

My sister is down there as a reporter and is apparently going to get out today; I will be interested to see her perspective. She's been in New Orleans since Sunday.

[larkspur]

From what I could see, it did look like they did their best to get people to leave. There are a lot of understandable reasons why some people didn't leave, not the least of which is, duh, maybe they didn't have money for gas or a motel, or time to get the car fixed. Also, I'm sure many of the people who now need rescuing are people who DID evacuate, but simply couldn't get far enough away.

Yeah, it's way too early. From the beginning there's been this undercurrent of disdain toward people who didn't get to safety, as if anyone stayed did so because they wanted to have a fun hurricane party with lots of drinking and charades.

I picture what I might have done, and it's clear to me that I wouldn't have been sure what was right. Looming disasters are totally disorienting.

For example, if I'd been in one of the WTC towers, and I'd heard the intercom telling me to stay where I was, that I'd be safer staying put, I'd very likely have turned back from the stairwell, and gotten thoroughly dead.

We all need a compassion transfusion.