Land of Oz

The Buck Stops Where

Yet another person jumps on the blame game bandwagon. Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell gripes about the disaster response. Most of the higher heads of government in that area have been doing the same; the mayor, the governors, etc. have all been bitching about what a crappy job in emergency management has been done. Come on, someone screwed the pooch and they should own up to it. It's not like a hurricane hits land with no notice. You sit there day after day wondering when and where the blasted thing will hit. Hurricane tracking maps are passed out by every business in the Gulf Coast (BTW, if Tiger Wood cruised to a win in a Mississippi golf tournament would the headline be, "Gulf Coast Golf Coast?") as placemats and advertisements for people to plot and ponder on and every hour folks check TV for the latest red, yellow, green land fall proposal.

These things don't sneak up like an earthquake or a bearded non-infidel wearing a TNT corset. They take days to move in. US President George W Bush has declared Friday 16 September a national day of prayer. I'm sure that is comforting to those holed up in their homes waiting for FEMA to drag them out at gun point. I didn't see the proclamation, but is it strictly a christian prayer request or can anyone join in?

Below all this hubub of finger pointing and ass-covering the peons of the response go about their duty. All over the USofA people are trying to help. From kids selling lemonade for donation money to techies keeping servers served in dark buildings, from cops saving dogs to Guardsmen rescuing old ladies and their cats, the work goes on. Politicians posture and pundits punt, but the work goes on. This is in spite of the leaderless leadership and talking heads who add way too much hot air to the already hot and humid south.

Hang in there guys, sooner or later (usually later) the powers to be will get off their dead asses and actually do some good. By next season, you'll probably be able to move back and once again live in a coastal flood plain meters below sea level to await the next hurricane that will (not might) hit again.