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[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 16:05:52 09/12/05 Mon Author: MM Subject: PLEASE READ WHEN HURRICANE KATRINA FIRST HIT LA, MS, AND AL I WAS VERY UPSET AND SADDEN BY THE AFTERMATH IT HAD AND THE TOLL IT HAD TAKEN ON ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE HARD HIT AREAS BUT NOW THAT WE ARE 2 WEEKS OUT I AM STARTING TO HAVE DIFFERENT FEELINGS REGARDING THE PEOPLE THAT IT HAS AFFECTED AND THE POLITICAL LEADERS WHO KEEP VOICING THEIR OPINIONS. FIRST OFF I AM PISSED OFF AT THE ACCUSATIONS OF RACISM. I HONESTLY FEEL THAT AMERICA WAS JUST NOT READY FOR SUCH A DISASTER AND IT COULD HAVE HAPPEN TO ANYONE, ANYWHERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME. THERE ARE ALL DIFFERENT RACES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THIS NOT JUST POOR BLACK PEOPLE! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHEN THERE IS A TRAGEDY BLACK PEOPLE LOOK FOR A WAY TO HAVE IT ALWAYS BENEFIT THEM AND THAT NEEDS TO STOP. BLACK PEOPLE NEED STOP AND REALIZE THAT THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED BY THIS NATURAL DISASTER... BLACK PEOPLE NEED TO STOP MAKING EVERY TRAGEDY IN LIFE ABOUT THEM; WE ALL SUFFER REGARDLESS OF YOUR NATIONALITY. LIFE IS HARD ON EVERYONE! THE DELAY IN HELP FOR LOUISIANNA WAS NOT BECAUSE OF RACISM IT WAS BECAUSE NO ONE EXPECTED THAT SUCH A DISASTER COULD HAPPEN THE WAY IT DID. PEOPLE WERE WARNED OF THE HURRICANES STRENGTH AND THEY WERE TOLD TO LEAVE. SOME PEOPLE COULD NOT LEAVE AND THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT THE LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE AIDED THE DISABLED AND THE POOR IN REACHING A SAFE PLACE. YOUR OWN STATE LET YOU DOWN NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NOT THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA. LOUISIANNA’S GOVENOR WOULD NOT ALLOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP ITS CITIZENS. THE GOVENOR WANTED TO WAIT AND ASSESS THE SITUATION. PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA WERE ALREADY TAKING IN EVACUEES THAT WERE ABLE TO LEAVE. SO WHEN YOU PLACE BLAME THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN STATE AND HOW THEY DIDNT CARE ENOUGH TO HELP YOU! SECONDLY I SEE THE DIFFERENT STATES ARE TRYING THEIR HARDEST TO HELP THE DISPLACED RESIDENTS AND THE STATES THAT ARE TRYING TO HELP ARE BEING BAD MOUTHED FOR IT. EVERYDAY I WATCH THE NEWS AND THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE SAYING "WELL THE LINES ARE TO LONG OR IT IS TAKING TO LONG TO GET ASSISTANCE, ETC" PEOPLE WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.... FIRST OFF THE STATES WITH HARD HIT AREAS SHOULD BE HELPING THEIR OWN RESIDENTS, NOT EVERY AREA OF THOSE STATES WERE DESTROYED. SO DONT RUN AROUND BAD MOUTHING PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP YOU. LIKE THE OLD SAYING GOES "DONT BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU"! MY OTHER CONCERN IS THAT THE RESIDENTS OF OUR OWN STATES ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF ALL THE ATTENTION THAT HAS BEEN PLACED ON HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS. A FRIEND OF MINE WENT TO GET HELP AFTER HER HUSBAND WALKED OUT AND LEFT HER WITH 4 KIDS TO RAISE AND SHE WAS TOLD THAT AT THIS TIME THE STATE HAD VERY LITTLE TO OFFER HER DUE TO HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS BEING THE MAIN FOCUS. PEOPLE IN NEED WHO LIVE IN GA, TX, AND OTHER STATES ARE BEING DENIED FOOD STAMPS, WELFARE, AND MEDICAID. ALSO SSI CHECKS ARE LATE AND IT IS TAKING EVEN LONGER WHEN YOU APPLY FOR SSI TO RECEIVE A RESPONSE DUE TO THIS DISASTER... THAT IS JUST NOT RIGHT! THE AVERAGE AMERICAN IS STRUGGLING JUST TO GET BY EVERYDAY. GAS PRICES HAVE SOARED AND EVEN WITH STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LIFTING REGULATIONS AND ADDING RESTRICTIONS TO BUSINESS OWNERS. EVERYTHING WE BUY IS GOING UP IN PRICE DUE TO SHIPPING COST. SOME OF US HAVE HAD TO REARRANGE OUR HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO GET TO WORK. PEOPLE OUT THERE WILL SAY THAT THOSE THINGS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO LOOSING EVERYTHING YOU OWN AND THE LOSS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THOSE PEOPLE ARE RIGHT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CURRENT HARDSHIP ON AMERICANS ISNT ANYTHING COMPARED TO WHAT HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH. THAT IS ONE REASON I WROTE THIS BECAUSE EVEN THROUGH OUR OWN DAILY HARDSHIPS WE HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER TO HELP HURRICANE KATRINA VICTIMS. WE HAVE RAISED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERMENT HAS OFFERED BILLIONS YET THESE STATES CANT HELP THEIR OWN RESIDENTS. WHERE ARE ALL THOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS GOING AND WHO IS KEEPING AN ACCOUNT OF IT? ANOTHER THING HOW DOES ONE VERIFY THAT A PERSON IS EVEN FROM A HURRICANE HIT STATE? IF ALL THEIR DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION WERE DESTROYED HOW DO WE KNOW THEY ARE REALLY VICTIMS? HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE RECEIVING HELP ARE NOT JUST PEOPLE LOOKING TO SCAM THE GOVERNMENT? WHO IS IN CHARGE OF MAKING SURE THAT THESE PEOPLE ARE TRUELY VICTIMS AND NOT JUST GOOD ACTORS? JUST YESTERDAY I WAS IN THE GROCERY STORE AND IN LINE IN FRONT OF ME WAS SOME PEOPLE USING THOSE FAST ISSUED FOOD STAMP CARDS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN OUT. THESE PEOPLE WERE NOT BUYING THE BASIC SUPPLIES TO GET BY ON THEY WERE BUYING CANDY AND JUNK FOOD. WHILE I WAS WAITING IN LINE I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WOULD BUY IF I HAD NOTHING AND WHAT I WOULD BUY TO SURVIVE ON AND JUNK FOOD AND CANDY DIDNT ENTER MY MIND. I GUESS THEY THINK THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE SOMEONE THERE TO HAND THEM THE BASICS. WE AS AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL TAKE ALONG TIME TO REBUILD A LIFE AFFECTED BY THIS DISASTER, BUT WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE? PEOPLE ARE BEING GIVEN DEBIT CARDS AND FOOD STAMP CARDS; THEY ARE ALSO RECEIVING HOUSING, CLOTHING, AND OTHER ESSENTIAL ITEMS TO START A NEW LIFE ON. ONCE ALL THE DISPLACED VICTIMS HAVE FOUND A NEW STARTING GROUND. HOW LONG DO WE CONTINUE TO PAY? MOST DISPLACED VICTIMS HAVE SAID THEY WILL NOT RETURN TO THEIR PREVIOUS HOMES. SO HOW LONG DO WE CONTINUE TO HELP THEM? THE REASON I ASK IS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO MOVE ON AND LOOK TO A BETTER FUTURE. THEY DO NOT NEED TO BECOME A WELFARE CASE. WE HAVE ENOUGH OF THOSE ALREADY IN AMERICA. SOME ARE SIMPLY SCAMMING THE GOVERMENT OTHERS TRUELY DO NEED HELP BUT I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A TIME LIMIT ON THE HELP THAT IS AVAILABLE. HURRICANE VICTIMS OF OTHER STATES HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE SAME HARDSHIPS AS THE KATRINA VICTIMS. WE HAVE GONE TO THEIR AID AND HELP REBUILD WHEN WE COULD, BUT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF HURRICANE VICTIMS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REBUILD. THOSE VICTIMS DIDN’T RECEIVE THE ATTENTION OR THE HELP THAT THE KATRINA VICTIMS HAVE RECEIVED. ONE LADY I KNOW LIVED THROUGH HURRICANE ANDREW AND SHE WAS GIVEN $500.00 BY FEMA TO RELOCATE FOR A YEAR. THAT DIDN’T EVEN GET HER A PLACE TO LIVE. ANOTHER THING THAT BOTHERS ME IS THE OTHER DAY I READ IN THE NEWSPAPER THAT MY STATE WAS ENROLLING CHILDREN DISPLACED BY HURRICANE KATRINA INTO OUR SCHOOLS UNDER REFUGEE OR HOMELESS STATUS WHICH MEANT THAT THEY DIDNT HAVE TO PROVIDE ANY BIRTH CERTIFICATE, OR IMMUNIZATION INFORMATION. PERSONALLY I DONT WANT MY 3 CHILDREN EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE ANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES.THERE IS A REASON FOR THE IMMUNIZATION LAW. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR THE RED CROSS COULD GO AHEAD AND GIVE BOOSTER SHOTS TO THOSE CHILDREN. I MEAN WHAT COULD IT HURT? I KNOW THAT MAY SOUND LIKE A MEAN STATEMENT BUT IT CONCERNS ME. MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE ALWAYS MADE SURE OUR CHILDREN HAD THEIR SHOTS. EVEN WHEN WE DIDNT HAVE INSURANCE WE TOOK THEM TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND NOW OUR CHILDREN MAY BE EXPOSED TO DISEASES WE TRIED TO KEEP THEM FROM GETTING. NOT ONLY THAT BUT ACCORDING TO THT CDC PEOPLE THAT WERE RESCUED FROM NEW ORLEANS ARE GETTING SICK. SO I FEEL PARENTS SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT WHO THEIR CHILDREN ARE COMING IN CONTACT WITH. THE FACT IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED HURRICANE DESTRUCTION IN MANY OF OUR STATES OVER THE YEARS. PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS RECOVERED. MOST PEOPLE HAVE THE WILL TO SURVIVE AND TO PUSH FORWARD FOR A BETTER FUTURE. AS AN AMERICAN I HOPE THAT HURRICANE KATRINA'S STRENGTH DOES NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CRUSH THE AMERICAN DREAM. MOST PEOPLE HAVE THE DESIRE TO BE SELF RELIANT AND I HOPE PEOPLE CONTINUE WITH THAT DESIRE. AMERICANS UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY NEED OUR HELP RIGHT NOW BUT DONT LET THIS TRADGEDY BREAK YOUR SPIRIT TO PERSEVERE... SOME MIGHT SAY SOME OF MY REMARKS ARE HARSH AND UNSYMPATHETIC TO THE VICTIMS. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WAS NOT MY INTENTION. MY PURPOSE FOR WRITING THIS IS TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY AFRAID TO ASK. THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ASKED AND ANSWERED. THESE ARE MY PERSONAL VIEWS NO ONE ELSE HAS TO AGREE WITH ME. PERSONALLY I WILL ADMIT THAT I RECEIVE MY INFORMATION FROM THE NEWS ON TELEVISION AND THE NEWSPAPER SO MY VIEWS MAY BE ONE SIDED. IF THAT IS THE CASE THEN SOMEONE NEEDS TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT BECAUSE THERE MAYBE OTHER CITIZENS THAT ARE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |