This NO coverage is just terrible!

amynicole21 wrote: Snipers are shooting while the hospitals are trying to evacuate patients. They have no water or food! They are trying to protect the patients from looters. WTF is going on?!?!

Boys r us replied: All of this is so crazy!

I do understand to some degree how these people must be feeling..I mean, heck I get stuck in traffic for two hours b/c of an auto accident and I can feel myself loosing it..gooing crazy ...I can't imagine being stuck for days, with no food, no water, dead people all around me, having lost my home and maybe family members. Obviously these folks have hit rock bottom. Sometimes I think in situations like this, even good people turn to animalistic inststincts and sort of lose their proper minds.

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: I know I just heard that too!!! The people down there are just getting so desperate!! I would be too, but shooting at other people is just WRONG!!!!!!!!!

amynicole21 replied: Why is no one taking control? They deployed 24000 troops there, but where are they? I'm watching coverage of the convention center where there are thousands of people and no food or water! Why can't we coordinate the evacuation better than this? Come on! It's like Armageddon.

My2Beauties replied: This is so scary - people are going crazy, it feels like the end of the world is coming or something!

Boys r us replied: It is! I agree with you. I just find it so unbelievable that in the year 2006, with all of the resources we have, that we can not help these people any better than we have. Why are there still people in the stadiums and conference centers with no food, no water..sitting beside dead people?? WHY
I just can't even fathom that this is so chaotic still!

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
I couldn't agree more! That is all I keep thinking.

They are shooting at the helicopters who are rescuing people, too. I suppose they are angry b/c they haven't been rescued?

It's a mess down there. I just don't know how all of this is going to end up. The death toll will be outrageous. I do know that.

~Roo'sMama~ replied: It's insane. I saw a report that said that there were tons of boats all ready to go into the city to find people and rescue them and they were shot at too so they pulled back and never went back in. I think most of the problem is the gang members in the city - what they think they're going to accomplish by shooting the people trying to rescue them I have no idea.
I think the police are trying to get back controll too - I saw a clip of cops and guard members in the water having a shootout with the gangs.

coasterqueen replied: I agree it's all very sad. But can I ask why someone would be that stupid to shoot at people? Do they think they are going to be rescued by doing that? I mean, seriously, some people are just DUMB! Yes, they are in serious need, yes it's VERY hard for them to get in there and help them, yes there are hundreds of thousands of people who are in need. They can only get these people help as fast as they possibly can. It's not like we can fly in there or boat in there and get hundreds of thousands of people all at once. As horrible as it is they HAVE to be patient. I know that's not comforting because people are dying and I know if I was in that situation I wouldn't be able to be either, but seriously people they are REALLY trying to help the people there.

All those people who are doing is making themselves look stupid, making the media make it look racist, poor, etc, etc, etc. It's just ridiculous.

My2Beauties replied:
Thank you - I know I would be frantic and a total chaotic mess if it were me but for God sakes I wouldn't be shooting at innocent people This is so sad!

amynicole21 replied: There are rival gangs which are taking over the city. They are claiming different parts as their "turf" and that is who is doing most of the shooting, I think.

Incidently, has anyone seen the zombie movie 28 Days Later? This is what this situation reminds me of. Horrible.

ions_momma replied: This is all just so terrible!! I couldnt even imagine being in that situation with no food, water, probably lost family members, and dead people all around me! It is so awful! I just dont understand why people would want to shoot other people and make things worse than they are. It is just so sad!

redchief replied: I get the feeling that my input is being waited on here. Whether it is or not, here goes. There are several dynamics at work regarding New Orleans.

First, it seems you have a city that felt as if it had a great plan for surviving a storm like Katrina intact. They were so optimistic that during the height of the storm they were predicting that Bourbon Street would be back up and running in less than a week. The next day, as the pumps temporarily kept up with the breaks in the levees, the optimism continued and attention drifted toward Mississippi and Alabama, where the devestation of the gulf area is nearly total. It wasn't until the pumps broke down that the waters began to rise well after the storm actually passed.

Next, you have a remaining populace that has very little trust for government and, by extension, emergency services. The people that could afford to get out of the city on their own are gone. Those that remained are the poorest and the elderly. These people not only couldn't afford to relocate, they were extremely reluctant to do so. Even when the opportunity to get out of harms way was extended to them, many decided to stay. This is a very normal reaction in such demographics. Only when their situation is desperate will such folks ask for assistance. Often the request comes too late. At that point the rule of law breaks down and it becomes downright dangerous for emergency service workers to enter these areas.

It takes months to mobilize a force of 24,000 troops. Right now there are 2,800 troops in and around New Orleans. Of those, perhaps 2/3 are operational. Just as with any business, a big portion of the troop strength goes to administration. We also must remember that Katrina was a huge storm, stretching life threatening damage from the Florida panhandle to the Texas border. Basically in this area, everything south of Interstate 10 is destroyed or severely damaged. It's going to take herculean efforts to search all of these areas and rescue survivors. All of the emergency response assets in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana are stretched beyond their limits. When that happens, the equipment breaks, the people become exhausted and trust wanes further. The cycle is viscious and self-sustaining.

Part of the problem as I see it is this. We've (society) has become so spoiled and expectant of government to get us out of every jam we get into, that we've lost the will and ability to recognize danger and remove ourselves from harm's way. Those people aren't being helped because there isn't anyone with the means or training to help them. It's sad, and all I can offer from here is prayers and hope.

Someone said it looks like Armegeddon. While this is a national tragedy, I believe that humanity will overcome and order will be restored. At Armegeddon, there won't be any Coast Guard or Air Force or government for that matter. It'll be every man, woman and child in the world for themselves. I don't want to be here to witness that after seeing what a nasty storm did to a flood prone city.

coasterqueen replied:
Well said!

Were you listening to Rush today? He said a lot of what you are saying as well as liberals tend to say "why isn't the government helping, why aren't troops there, etc".

I believe the people are really doing their best to help save people. We can only do so much unfortunately.

TANNER'S MOM replied: I agree with what you are saying alot..

Yet I still have issues of course.... Why was it allowed to get this far out of hand.. We can put people on a plane to a foriegn country to give them assistance with democarcy (sp?) in a matter of no time.. but it has already been 4 days since the hurricane and we can't seem to manage to get our own people water..

And while they are crazed and inraged... lets assume they aren't suicidal or quite the force.. umm lets say Al-Quida is.. and yet we managed to get Immiediate news response to wha the efforts over there were... with in hours and minutes of the searches that began there..

I am just saying it seems to me.. that not enough was done as far as sercuirty and food, water etc..

This is a very scarey part of our history.. Brothers are turning a gun to his sister for a bag of ice... It is bad..

I feel we want instant relief and I feel our goverment should be moving alittle faster... Yet I believe the people who are shooting.. should be fired back upon.. they are putting more than their OWN lives in danger.. Take some corparal action.. it is time..

I think we will all learn a HUGE lesson from this..

Plus I am having thoughts as far as... Look how vunarable we are to terrorist and forgien countries at this time..They are watching us and we hav MASS chaos.. and we don't have enought troops to protects us from ourselves.. it might take MONTHS.,..... man thats an invitation..

I still very much love my country.. and I am greatly saddened.. I just wish the world would move faster for these poor dying people..

I am soooooo saddended!

Sry for the spelling .. I need to leave work ASAP but cant stop typing!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: CNN just interviewed a perfectly healthy 30 something man that was in Houston, Texas having ridden a much needed bus from the superdome.What happened to women and children first? How is it that people are blaming the federal government for a NATURAL DISASTER? When the tsunami took place we did not blame the government those countries for people lacking food and water, we just hoped that it would get there and helped where we could! We have never seen such a far spread disaster in our country's history so Yes it is going to take time! They are working extremely hard to take care of a mass amount of people! There are looters and shooters and gangs and mini-warfare is taking place! Help the ones who need it and I am with Mel here-

I am the first to admit if I was there with my daughter with such uncertainty around me I would be fighting to the death to FEED her BUT stealing TVs,Jewelery,Toys,Guns,Etc... Those people don't deserve the concideration of putting our aid workers lives in danger to help them if they are so set on looting then I hope you can find some way out of town on your own! Because in all honesty I don't want you bussed out of there into my neighborhood!

amynicole21 replied: I didn't say I was blaming the government for a natural disaster, I'm just wondering why they can't get a single official to take over operations at the convention center?! There is no one in charge! People are waiting to be told what to do... we can't get a few people in there to actually LEAD? This is totally separate from the looters and shooters - I'm talking about the poor people dying in the places they were told to go to, but now there are no resources for them there. Unfortunatly, I know that the looters and shooters are the ones that are driving off much of the help that IS able to get through. I just don't understand this!!! I'm raging at the world right now - not at anyone in particular. I just feel so helpless and confused... and I'm not even there!

redchief replied:
Why was what allowed to get this far out of hand? The people trapped in the flooded sections of the city were offered transportation to the Super Dome and other shelters to take refuge. This transportatation was offered for free. Those people refused to leave their homes, most citing fear their neighbors would loot them (a valid fear as proven out).

The Super Dome was planned and built to take 200 mile an hour winds. Sadly, it failed. The plan was a good one, unfortunately the building didn't perform as advertised. Live and learn.

The levee and pump system has been working keeping the city dry for many years. It was in bad need of repair which the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana said they didn't have the money to fix, placing the responsibility on the feds. Why are New Orlean's levees and pumps a federal problem?

The storm grew in a matter of two days from a Cat 1 to a Cat 5. New Orleans was well equipped to handle a Cat 2 or 3 storm. But nowhere is equipped to handle a Cat 4 storm. There isn't enough dedicated resources in the country to truck water to all the areas devestated by this storm. That ability just doesn't exist.

The war was planned and material moved over months (some liberals say longer). Even so, there were areas of Iraq and Afganistan without power, food and water for months following our invasions. Hurricane Katrina was born on August 24 and not forcast to hit the New Orleans area until late on August 26 (prior to that forcasts had it hitting the FL panhandle again). That gave New Orleans 48 hours to prepare for the storm. It also wasn't forcast to become a Cat 4 or above storm until August 26.

Two days is not enough time for a major metropolis to prepare to evacuate its populace, let alone feed and clothe it under emergency conditions. The federal gov't, by law, may not interfere in local or state areas of responsibility until they are asked to by the governor of the state in question. A storm is not a federal responsibility until a disaster area is declared. A disaster can not be declared by the President until it occurs. The argument could be made that the laws need to be changed, but the ramifications of such a change on the freedom we so enjoy in this country are unacceptable.

I agree that those shooting should be shot back, but by whom? Rescuers? There are only 2,400 national guardsmen in the entire area. More are coming, but without a magic wand, that takes time.

As far as our vulnerability goes; it hath always been so. One of the problems in a free society is the very freedom we protect, but it makes us vulnerable to those who hate us.

We should all be saddened over this tragedy. Help how we can, pray for the survivors and those who have lost their lives. Give what we can. Hope that those who have resorted to animalistic behavior either get caught before hurting anyone else, or wise up and pick a shovel up to help dig out instead.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Amy Nichole I was not directing my post at you or anyone on the boards-I have been watching Cnn and I am just irritated at the spin they are putting on this! I meant you in the general not specific sense...sorry to sound as though I was singling you out! Anyway-Dh was there, well 42 miles east of there and there is no communication-no phones and little if any news coverage. They are flying blind. The disaster efforts are coming but it is going to be slow moving. The army,red cross,navy,rescue teams,etc,etc,etc...are using the same road ways and transportation that everyone else has and many of the roads are flooded or distroyed all together. And I am sorry to sound harsh but these people were told to leave days in advance they had warning and I understand that not all had ability but many stayed for reasons unknown and now they are yelling for help...they bear some responsibility in this situation as well. The officials begged people to get out of the city and then ordered it-if more had heeded that advice maybe this situation would not be so desperate.Understand that I am not blaming the people who had no way to leave but there are many who thought they could just ride the storm out. It is the mass amount of people that has proven to be a major hardchip on the limited resources that are already in place!

Boys r us replied: Well, Here is my question:

On the news today there were multiple reporters who were there and had canvased the city and point blank said,"WHERE ARE THE CARE STATIONS? The ones we're being told are set up? b/c no one on the ground knows where they are! We can't find them!"

So, why cannot there not be helicopters flying low with bull horns or SOME method of communication. These people were told to go to the superdome or whatever shelter they are at, now no one is aiding them! WHY? If you tell people to go to a certain location, why not have at the very least some cases of bottles water pumping in to keep them alive! These people don't have radios or televisions to know what is happening and any cell phones are long since washed away or their batteries dead..everyone in there is wondering if they have family dead, they're hungry, thirsty and angry that no one is there to help them! Why can not one person take charge and at least let them know what the plan of action is and try to find some order amongst the chaos. I knwo that there are thousands of people there. But if they know there is hope and that the world hasn't forgotten about them, maybe they'd be willing to stand single file in line to get some water or a MRE! But as it stands these people can't see what we do, they don't know that everyone around the country is coming together to help them and try to save them. They only know they are standing alone and scared in the darkness of death all around them.

coasterqueen replied:
Well if they had any faith in America they would at least have to know we ARE trying to help them. We aren't just leaving them there. It takes time, man power, etc, etc. I really truly believe those people are being helped. it's sad that so many people feel they are not, because if you asked ALL those people there who are working day and night to do what they can...they would tell you they are.

I think we need to stop complaining about what kind of help they are getting and rally among us to show support for all the many many people who ARE helping and those in need. I'm not trying to sound cold-hearted because I have cried so many times these past few days just sick to death of what these people are going through. I can't even imagine. Sometimes those feelings can overtake a person and cause anger, but we need to try not to do that. we need to try to appreciate those who are helping.

Like Ed said, we can't wave a magic wand and poof the people have food, water, clothing and shelter. They are working really hard.

I can't understand how any american can really think we aren't trying to help these people the best way and fastest way possible. We are NOT there so we really don't know the difficutlies these people face. We only see what the media wants us to see and quite frankly their democractic ways of reporting the news STINKS!

Do you know what my daughter did tonight? We explained to her the devestation these people are faced with and she put together a box of toys, stuffed animals, books to send to them. When Dh tucked her in she said "I want to give those kids my toys because I have more than they do, but don't want to give them all away". What a sweetheart. Even she is wanting to help out.

A&A'smommy replied: I KNOW!!!! I just don't understand it, it isn't safe for volunteers.. heck it isn't even safe for the people who are already there!! I wonder if it from dehydration or if they are just crazy!?!?

TANNER'S MOM replied: Oh.. I am a very proud American.. I love the volunteers.. I have soooo much respect for every person there or who has been there..

I think this is a country of massive means.. and I think that they will be helped.

But I think this simply proves we have to work on a "better" plan of action for a natural disaster.

I feel for every person there.. I have been unable to sleep.. I have cried and prayed in away that I haven't in a long time..
My son spilled some $1.29 a 20oz cold Aqua Fina.. and I said to him,.. SON please don't waste water... there are sooo many who don't have it.. He is 7 and didn't understand what I was meaning.. But he drew a picture of a bull bucking with a big GOLD buckle beside it.. and he said Mom can we mail this to the police in New Orleans... they win GOLD.. ANd guess what they do.. ( I am crying as I type this.. because my kids are thinking of what they can do.) Like Karen.said. when kids give.. you know where it comes from.. purely from the soul.

I am not saying the US isn't trying.. I am just saying at this point it just hasn't been enough. And this is a first.. and we never knew what could happen?? So, we will learn.

I am sure those people there feel so alone.. they have no radio or TV.. they don't know why the FEMA pulled out.. or why they aren't hearing choppers.. They just know that a loved has died across from them and they are trapped in this place... with no one but Media to tell them what is going on..Scared, poverty stricken, grief stricken.. I am sure they think more than their own country turned its back.. I am sure they have some anger w/ their higher power and with there own self to deal with..

God Speed to everyone there... and to each American who will have been touched in some way by this awful thing..

coasterqueen replied:
Mel. I think this is all so tough on all of us watching and we feel so helpless that it's frustrating too. I know last night I yelled at Dh asking him why they didn't have busses to evacuate these people BEFORE the hurricane hit. It was a dumb thing to get mad about because I know it's no one's fault but the thought of these people suffering, children without food. I just can't imagine Megan screaming and crying staring me in the face wondering why I can't feed her, or Kylie too. I just can't bare the thought of this.

All we can do is try our best to suport these people, pray for them and stand by America in this time fo crisis.

to all.

TANNER'S MOM replied: Hugs to Karen For being a thoughtful person.. and a proud American in times like this..

You are one in a million girl...

I am turning off the TV.. and tomorrow I am limiting my time even watching CNN... I am becoming a Media sponge and believing every word I hear..

Peace and Love to all!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: It is a sad and terrible thing! The same company that Dh hauled the generator for wanted 2 trucks to go back and haul fuel and they were pretty sure one truck at least would go to New Orleans,they turned the load down and I am glad! I can't say that I am proud to feel that way but I am too fearful for his safety! It is NOT that we don't want to help but where do regular people draw the line for their own safety? There is not enough protection being offered for the people trying to help and I understand it is a vicious cycle-Dh wants to go back and relieve a small amount of the suffering but he even said that New Orleans is just too dangerous right now!

redchief replied: I don't know how to tell everyone that it's not as easy as saying, "Okay, let's go fix this."

This is a massive operation. Rescuers can't communicate with law enforcement. Rescuers aren't safe. There aren't enough of any of them to guarantee security. The first rule of search and rescuer is, "Ensure the safety of the rescuers." That can't be done right now. I realize it's only a few people causing trouble, but they're a problem that must be dealt with before rescuers can go into the danger zones.

Must there be a better way? I don't know the answer to that. I've been involved in massive search and rescue operations (Sept. 11, 2001, NYC). The biggest problems are these:

Communications - Without power things we take for granted like cell phones and radios don't work. Storm forcasting is not and will not for a long time be, an exact science beyond a couple days. There are too many variables working on the weather on this complicated planet for the meteorologists to do better than a couple days truly accurately. Given that, how can an agency communicate, with any reliability, a forthcoming disaster beyond that time? How would the emergency rations be moved into place? Where would they come from? Where would be a safe place to store them?

Coordination of Resources - People from all over the country are descending upon the area to help. Most will be sent to holding areas until they can be trained to work with the myriad of others who have done the same thing. Military units are rarely grouped with general volunteers because of a problem we call "Span of Control." Basically the volunteers don't know how the emergency services systems work, so those people are a risk to the rescue teams and themselves.

Lack of Resources - It would be fiscally impossible to have full time, paid rescuers standing by around the country in the event of a natural disaster. What would they do in their off time? So, in times of emergency, the trained rescuers are mustered. But these people have to leave their regular jobs and provide for their families while they're gone. This can take quite a bit of time. Basically natural disasters just don't happen often enough to justify a full time service. The city of New Orleans doesn't have enough mass transit capability to move people in the numbers that was needed before the storm, and didn't have the authority to order them out anyway.

Lack of Material - Even MRE's go bad after some time. You just can't keep caches of food and water for any length of time without them spoiling. There are small caches kept, but the rest must be gathered, shipped and paid for. The trucks have to be contracted and gathered. The military simply doesn't have the resources to feed so many people in such a short period. That means private haulers. Those haulers have to be freed from their current jobs to go into service in an emergency.

Scope of the Emergency - A major hurricane directly hitting New Orleans is the third worst disaster that could occur in the country according to FEMA. What happened Sunday and Monday was worse than anything they could have dreamed up. Not only was there a major hurricane in New Orleans, it was a HUGE hurricane, devestating 3 other metropolitan areas. The plan had rescue teams from MI, TX and AL converging on New Orleans to help. The only ones available were those from TX. The others have more than they can handle "at home."

People Don't Think - I've been through 3 hurricanes in my shore town. One of them was a very near miss, and the other two missed by enough that there was little damage. Our emergency managers recommended evacuation in each case. The first two times approx. 3 - 10% of the residents refused to go. During the last one there were actually advertised hurricane parties in town. They were asked to leave. They chose to stay. One day that will mean tragedy here too. Will I be asked why I didn't do more to save them? Undoubtedly, but I already have my answer.

One of the things we're not seeing is all the good that's happening. Hundreds of thousands of displaced people ARE being taken care of in various shelters in the south. That in itself is a monumental undertaking in only 3 days. There are only so many volunteers. All of those in established, supplied shelters need care also. Since those people are getting that care, it's not "news" and therefore we aren't seeing it on TV.

Natural disasters, no matter where they occur, bring tragedy and seemingly insurmountable problems. But this country will overcome them. It has only been three days folks. I know that seems forever, but in the great scheme of things and taking in the scope of the problems, they're doing the best they can.

If we learn anything from this I think it should be this: Whenever a major storm or other natural disaster threatens a place, the state should allow local and county officials to order evacuation without fear of legal reprisal. That's part of the problem. It's illegal right now to order people to leave their homes, regardless of the forcast situation. Without the ability to order people out of the city, New Orleans could only recommend evacuation. Would this country's citizens be willing to give up their civil right to protect their home when the government tells you to go. Keep this in mind as you consider the answer. I eluded to 3 storms above where people were asked to leave. Two of those three did little damage to our town. But the potential was there for them to destroy it. Where do you draw the lines?

punkeemunkee'smom replied: Thank you Ed! You are very informative and well spoken!

punkeemunkee'smom replied: This is a portion of a story on AOL news:

By Thursday evening, 11 hours after the military began evacuating the Superdome, the arena held 10,000 more people than it did at dawn. National Guard Capt. John Pollard said evacuees from around the city poured into the Superdome and swelled the crowd to about 30,000 because they believed the arena was the best place to get a ride out of town.

How can they handle that? They are getting people out but they just keep coming!

amynicole21 replied: punkeemunkee'smom, I know you weren't directing that at me

This whole situation has me on edge - I am losing sleep, nervous, generally freaked out. I feel like it's happening to ME! I can't explain it. I just wish I could do something. I realize all of this takes time, but just yesterday two infants died of dehydration in the convention center... that is inexcusable!!!!

amynicole21 replied:

They have 3.5 Million MREs ready to go! Drop them in for God's sake! I realize they are being fired upon, but how can we have black hawk helicopters flying 150MPH 10 feet above the ground in a war zone taking fire all the while, and not be able to give people some food or water!? Ack! I'm getting myself all worked up. Totally not directed at you Ed... I'm just throwing questions out there

TANNER'S MOM replied:
I said the exact samething this morning at work..

We can go to Iraq blow some people up... fly behind them and drop some food .. and we can't FEED our people in America..

Seems strange to me????


Amy Nicole... I am very much with you. I can't sleep I am staying up at nigth watching children who are listless and parents who can't find there kids....

It is sad! I have no answer ... other than we need a new way.

I agree with everyone.. and I will say this.. Democrat or Republican.. President Bush has had to DEAL with more in his presidency then most President's ever.. I will give him that.

I wish we could do more than watch and send money.... but we need a new plan. Next time it could be our area.. and our children...

coasterqueen replied:
Amy,

I think we all feel this way. I even threw up last night I was so sick from this. I didn't sleep at all. When I tried I had horrible visions of myself and my children being in this situation. I stayed up late to go through a bunch of Kylie's old clothes to give to a woman down in that area, which made me feel good but it's just not enough. I feel like each sip of water, each bite of food, each sleep I take, everything I just feel awful.

I have decided to turn off the tv, not listen to the radio, not read any news...I just can't bare to. It's consuming my life worst than the 9-11 disaster because in this situation people are STARVING to death waiting for food and water. After this thread I will not read or post to any more threads on this situation unless it's one to help out people in need. So if anyone wants me to read any of those be sure to put that in your title. I just can't deal with this and I'm so sick over it.

coasterqueen replied:
Amy,

If they drop them who do you think is going to get them? The ones with the guns. They have to wait until the get the situation under control first. If they just drop food in people will trample, kill, steal, beat to death, etc just to get to the food. It needs to be done in a manner where they know those giving the food and those receiving it aren't going to be tortured in the process. It's awful but our own people, Americans, are making this situation much worse than it should be.

coasterqueen replied: Ed,

I feel so much comfort when reading your posts to this thread. You don't know what it means to read these. I know all of what you say but there are moments the past few days I need to be reminded of this, especially knowing that DH is going to be in the middle of all of this. Thank you. You and Lisa are a huge support for me during this time with your knowledge, wisdom, and just your overall "calmness" that you bring to the subject.

I know my husband is waiting patiently for his assignment from FEMA to go over there. He has asked to wait until Sept 10 but he also has to be trained first. I don't know if others understand this. They just can't send civilians over there to do certain things without the training. Also I don't think people realize this training takes 3 days or more. So we can't just send people immediately. Sure there are people in DH's office that already have training from last years disasters so they will be sent as soon as FEMA gives the word. There are numerous people in his office waiting to go as soon as they get the word.

The one thing his employer or FEMA can't do is send them into harms way. You can't send civilians over there expecting them to deal with shooting and such, it's impossible. I won't let my DH go if it's extremely dangerous, sorry. I think everyone on this board needs to realize that IF your husband or wife was going, wouldn't you want them to be safe? So yes, it is hard to get people over there right now with the chaos.

I know a lot of you wish there was more rescue, help going on but we also have to think of the safety of those rescueing and helping in the relief efforts down there. Please, please think of that as well. I don't think I thought long and hard about it til I realized my husband would be one going over there.

Again, Ed, thank you so much.

ammommy replied: I read this on bbc and it put some things in perspective, in addition to Ed's posts :


We are trying our best. You have to put this in perspective. The devastated area is approximately 100,000 sq miles, the entire size of the UK is 93,000 sq miles, now think of that. It's not just the 20,000 at the super dome. It's the 300,000-500,000 that are stranded all over that large area. Think about saving 500,000 in an area the size of the UK with approx 200 helicopters. The people seem to be only getting the news about the super dome, those people are alive, we need to save the people everywhere, then fine enough food , water, and shelter for approx 1,000,000 (when it's all over). You just can't get enough water to feed a million sent to LA in 40 hours. My brother is down there, in the rescue effort. We sent down 30,000 bottles of water from New England , but that takes 2 1/2 days to get there. This is not sending a few bottles of water from Southampton to Portsmouth. Think of saving everyone from Scotland in 40 hours, feed, clothe and shelter them in less than 3 days, after you rescue them one at a time off there roofs.

I think that the country is in shock right now because we never expected something like this to happen to us. I mean, we are America, right? It's sad and frustrating and so easy to say "why in the world..." which I have said plenty in the last couple of days. We also have to ask, "why didn't everyone evacuate when they were warned?" I don't mean the people who didn't have the means, but why oh why did people, especially tourists, stick around? Yes, more needs to be done and quickly, but I think that this is a huge eye opener to the fact that the United States is as vulnerable as anyone. I hope that what I am saying makes sense. I feel a bit disjointed over this whole situation, but really wanted to get my feelings out.

mammag replied: I haven't been on here much and saw this thread. I just wanted to add my prayers for everyone down there. It is devastating.

I do agree with a lot of you and find some of the feel good ideas thrown out typical. As far as dropping MRE's, I agree with Karen, the few with guns would grab it and keep it to themselves. This happened in Africa, in fact, we made a massive food drop only to have it hoarded by warlords.

Ah, I could go on all day with this topic but it's pointless because it's not going to save any lives.

To me, what it boils down to is that, in the end, we need to take this as a lesson learned. We were all told after 9/11 about having emergency plans and supplies. How many of us do? Please, for your own good, go to ready.gov and make an individual emergency plan. And if there is ever a mandatory evacuation in your area, don't stay. I'm sure some of these people couldn't leave for financial reasons or what have you (though they could have at least gone to the shelters) but some just didn't think it would be bad..now they are paying the price and it is sad. I saw that there had been 5,000 rescues already. That is a lot that is being done! I see now that there are armed convoys trying to flush out some of these scum that are causing all this trouble. Things are being done. I'm sure there is so much that we just don't see or hear about that is going on behind the scenes. But, truth be told, there are some (not pointing to anyone on here more to some you see in the news) that will take any opportunity to point fingers at the administration for political reasons....it's a sad fact.

Again, my prayers go out to everyone down there.

redchief replied: This is the last post I will make on this thread. I shall continue to defend the efforts of the rescuers, police and firefighters vehemently because I KNOW firsthand what they're going through. The immensity of the task at hand for New Orleans and this country is almost inconceivable to me as an emergency responder. Never in our history have we had THREE metropolitan areas so totally devestated on the same day. Never before have we had to deal with the displacement of so many people all at once.

I applaud the efforts of those involved. To those who complain it is too little, too late, know this. Two skyscrapers were destroyed in 2001 and nothing was able to be done for 24 hours. Four days ago three cities and the enitire areas surronding them were torn apart by mother nature. The response by this country is unprecedented, immense in it's scope, unrealistically quick, and heartening in it's charity.

To those who feel frustration and a feeling of powerlessness, know this. YOU ARE NOT powerless. In the short term, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and many religeous relief services are currently soliciting funds specifically for the relief efforts. For the long term, give yourself as a volunteer to one of these groups. I know that the Red Cross here and countrywide are grossly understaffed. I'm certain all of the other relief services are similarly afflicted. The most common answer I get from people who ask is accompanied by a sad look, a shrug and, "I don't have the time." Well, if that's your first thought, my answer is, "Make the time."

Everyone here has valid concerns about the state of this country and our response to this emergency. One of the biggest problems is lack of trained volunteers. All must understand that the whole country can't up and move their operations to the affected area either. We have to protect our local areas as emergencies will continue to happen every day in every city across the country.

Finally, and this may sit sour with some people; anyone who sits comfortably at home and decries the inadaquacy of this country's response should look closely into a mirror and ask yourself how you make a difference. This country has become spoiled. We have to shed this victim mentality and become responsible to ourselves, our families, our friends, and our communities.

TANNER'S MOM replied:
No need to defend them to me.... I applaud them as well..

I do have issues and fears as most Americans do.. But I am very proud of those people who give there lives to help in anyway possible. Who have lost everything..and still trying to salvage America.. Oh I am very proud of them,,

Much love and respect to them!

Mel