News-Record.com

... I don't know .. sometime crap just happens.

Certainly there were multiple layers of "governments", or the lack there-of, that coulda-woulda-shoulda done better. Maybe it's more simple incompetance, or lack of that special quality separating firemen from librarians, than it is dereliction of duty.

I say we have enough on our plate getting through this, through Iraq, through Terrorism (note they are listed as separate items), through China's marketing-the-destruction-of-the-American-economy, through the balloning debt (cause by the above plus incompetent federal management for the past 50 years)

Perhaps we could get the truth and reconciliation committe (featured on the front of the N&R) to go down there and get to the bottom of things. I'm sure they can come up with a scapegoat for you.

Monday morning quarterbacking is easy. One reason the damage was less during Rita was that Texas showed some leadership in evacuating citizens and La. did nothing but wait for the federal government to guide them. Anyone waiting for the federal government to give them a guiding hand is in for a long and fruitless wait. And hurricanes don't conform to the federal government's timeline. IMO,of course.

"LA did nothing but wait for the federal government to guide them."

JBG, I think this statement is grossly unfair and a major oversimplification. Although it may be true that the handling of the evacuation process left much to be desired, it sounds as if you are blaming the victims for their own plight. As you said in your post, Monday morning quarterbacking is easy.

Unless you know all the people left in LA and their reasons for staying behind, you should not make such a generalization. All in my humble opinion, of course.

Yvonne, FEMA doesn't evacuate anyone. State and Local are responsible for that. In the case of La. and New Orleans they failed miserably by waiting until less than 20 hours before hurricane winds hit the state hit to start moving people.

They wasted 34 hours lead time when they knew the storm was coming.

I agree that bad things happen. There isn't always an easy person to blame. One thing I've learned is that when a loved one dies, many times there are no real answers. It could be one of a million things that caused the unthinkable to happen.

You can blame the person, you can blame yourself, you can blame the government, you can blame God, you can blame humanity, you can blame anything you want. It won't bring your loved one back.

I pray for the people there. I don't think there was any intentional desire on the part of any member of government or agency to see people die. I don't think there was dereliction of duty. I think people tried their best and major flaws in our system were exposed. But let's not make the mistake of carrying on with this finger pointing. We need to move forward and focus our examinations of past actions on how we can better handle things in future situations

"Who's accountable for the 1,000-plus lives that were lost during Hurricane Katrina?".........Um, let me see....maybe it might be the hurricane?

"Who's accountable for the 1,000 plus lives that was lost duuring hurricane Katrina?....Um,let's see....maybe it might be the hurricane?"

No, sorry, littlebudababy. We must have a scapegoat. No one is responsible for themselves anymore. Reference Yvonne's post- "it sounds like you are blaming the victims for their own plight". There must be someone else responsible for this. Hurricanes don't just hit the poorest and most helpless citizens by chance.....do they?

JBG, Apparently you misunderstood my post. I thought YOU were blaming the victims. That is how your post read to me. If I was wrong in my interpertation of your words, I apologize. But I blamed no one. To state the evacuation process left much to be desired is not attempting to place blame but simply making an observation. What I didn't say but should have is the post-Katrina response left even more to be desired.

As Truth said, bad things happen without rhyme or reason. Why does it have to be anyone's fault? If I were going to place blame it would be on mother nature.

Hugh, Huh?? I certainly didn't mention FEMA in my post. What is your point? That the folks in LA were waiting on the feds? If this is the case, my opinion about generalizations without knowing the circumstances goes for you too.

Yvonne, I am blaming no one. I am just wondering who the letter writer wants to 'hold accountable' for the lost lives. He appearantly feels someone other than the hurricane is responsible for their deaths. This befuddles me. I too place blame on mother nature. We are in harmony on this,no? Have a nice day! JBG

I'll just be excited when the media starts reporting with headlines like this:
"Thousands SURVIVE Hurricane Katrina!"

The population of New Orleans alone was over 450,000. Then there were the surrounding areas of Louisiana and Mississippi that were ravaged by the storm.

You can say that 1000+ died, or you can say that HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS survived. News stories ALWAYS have an agenda behind them. (And of course, blog posts do, too. **smile**)

Please do not provide any additional excuse for the "Truth and ... to continue" They will be perpetuating the need to heal in the next century! Their primary goal is to keep salt in old wounds so that we can never heal! They had to remind local citizens who did not even live here that the tragedy even occurred. Personally, I say that is intentional with malice!

Regards to the actual article, The tragedy was set in motion long ago when local developers and money mongers developed land which was unsuitable. It was robbed from Mother nature and Mother Nature just paid the area back with interest! Unfortunately many innocent persons along with other citizens of the US have to pay for the stupidity of bad planning and development decisions by local authorities. I doubt that we will ever learn. It is already starting in Mississippi. The Developers cannot purchase the land fast enough!

Certainly there are many local government organizations who were supposed to have working disaster plans who now have not only "Egg on their face" but are most likely personally responsible for unnecessary deaths.

Seems that although no government organization works perfectly, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina prove that good organization at the local and state levels can work in cases of hurricane diasters. In my opinion, FEMA had no chance to be successful because the first response teams City, Parrish, and State in Lousiana failed miserably!

"Who's accountable for the 1,000-plus lives that were lost during Hurricane Katrina?".........Um, let me see....maybe it might be the hurricane?

Yes it is the hurricane, but it's still Bush's fault because he didn't sign the Kyoto agreement according to global warming expert RFK, Jr.

In return, Mother Nature paid Bush back by spawning 4 hurricanes last year on his brothers state, wiping out New Orleans this year to prove Bush doesn't like blacks, and to top it off, one more doozie hurricane on his home state of Texas.

Dan: Where did JFK Jr. say Kyoto cause Katrina? I really don't doubt it, but I'd be curious to see the link.

There IS a corrolation between wet land removal and the Hurricane power that makes it's way inland - and Bush Sr. had the bright idea to "swap" wetlands that were developed over a few million years with "new" ones - what a brilliant idea that is ..

... and Bush Jr. did dump a huge cache of environmental laws when he came in - literally in the first few weeks as I recall - so JFK Jr. may (or may not) overstate the case - but you should read his "Crimes Agains Nature" before making that judgement - but Bush Sr. and Jr. are far from squeeky clean on long-term (even short-term) enviromental damage.

One of JFK Jr's principles - which I have latched on to - is Free Market Economics. His twist in interesting: When we allow Corporation / Developers etc. to deal-later with the damage they cause, all they do is put those costs on somebody else - and that is not Free Market Economics.

Father is George Herbert Walker Bush. Son is George Walker Bush. No Senior or Junior attached.

Wow Dan, what a leap. In an effort to place blame you made mother nature in to a vengence seeking entity. Then to top it all off, you say that the would also send hurricanes to prove a person hates black people. You need help!

JDR, I said RFK, Jr., JFK, Jr. perished in an airplane crash. Just in case that was a typo on your part and you meant to refer to RFK, Jr. here is the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr/for-they-that-sow-the-_b_6396.html

Littlebuddababy: Sorry you didn't see the humor in my post, that's what it was meant to be. Lighten up my friend.