Moderated angst. . . .

[shalanna]

Let me moderate a bit what I said in my angsty entry. A few people on various mailing lists (when I expressed my concern and frustration) suggested that I might next be in need of an aluminum foil hat, and should be in Berkeley with the ranters at the cafes. (To which I say, if only I could get out there! I love California, and would be right at home in Pacific Grove/Carmel.) They were concerned that I might be losin' it a little. Nobody here thought so, though, which is good. (grin) I'm just asking people to consider the possibility that *because* this event affected the "lower classes" and the African-American poor overwhelmingly as a majority, it isn't being worked on as quickly as it would have been had the victims been (for example) the New York Stock Exchange brokers. Yes, it's always nice to look back in hindsight. And yes, the Stock Exchange would have packed up every last tickertape and would have been ensconced in the Holiday Inn in the next state way before the first bands of the hurricane started coming in, just because they have those funny plastic rectangles that say American Express on the front. They would not have delayed an escape, and they'd know they would be reimbursed for some of it by insurance. That's nice. But the left behind did not have this option. They're struggling to survive and didn't have the $20 to fill up the tank.

It is just really strange that the government did not spring into action on, say, Tuesday or yesterday. I've now seen all the press conferences, and they've told us they're on the way. The check is in the mail. Well . . . I hope so. I really do hope that they'll go in there and get the people out quickly. It's dangerous to stand around in that heat with no water to drink. And there are places they can go to get help.

For those high school students now displaced, there are some free online high school courses--at least the course content and materials. "These curriculum materials will allow students to study standard curriculum topics including math, science, English, and history while they wait for their schools to reopen or until they relocate. This will help students not to fall behind in their
studies," writes the sender of this information, Carolyn of the Gifted Children list.

http://www.homeschoolersofmaine.org/high_school_&_beyond.htm

I saw that Tulane got its students bused to SMU at dawn yesterday. As an SMU alum, I was pleased to see this. I think they'll fit in well and it's nice that they don't lose a semester. Again, though, that's the privileged few. See how quickly they were taken care of, by both universities, I'll bet. So the only way to be safe is to be wealthy. I suggest we go off immediately and get rich. It'll be fun! We can have a swimming pool with a water slide! Dibs on the inner tubes!

Back to the blood-pressure-lowering Turner Movie Classics station!

Comments

Search and Rescue

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

I didn't want to respond to your first post, because tempers were flaring.

I can tell you that the FIRST rule of any search and rescue operation is "DO NOT BECOME THE NEXT VICTIM".

As unfair as it seems, it was the correct choice to suspend operations until the area can be secured.

If the rescuers are shot and killed, or if the helicopter crashes, (and it doesn't take much to bring one down, trust me, I used to be flight crew in rescue and fire operations) then there are LESS rescuers and MORE victims for someone else to come rescue and more strain on the system. Can that city afford to lose a helicopter, a pilot, rescuers and whoever is killed on the ground when the bird goes down? No

I know this sounds harsh, but that is truly the way it is (I've been involved in emergency services most of my adult life, which at my age, is a damn long time, longer than many reading this have been alive)

As much as I'm against military action domestically, I can say that this area NEEDS to be under Marshall Law before rescue and evacuation operations can begin and be effective.

Until anyone has been in a "triage" situation, you really should not criticize the people making these decisions. I have been in multi-casualty incidents and have had to make the decision to say, "This person is beyond help and we're going to have to let them go, because we CAN save these people." I can't think of any worse situation to be in than to decide who dies.

I pray to whatever deity, higher power, energy or self power that you believe in, that anyone reading this will never have to make that decision. It WILL haunt you for the rest of your life. It has mine.

The ugly reality of this situation is that the death toll has not even begun to reach its height. People are going to die slow, painful deaths of dysentery, dehydration and exposure for days and weeks after the levies broke. There will NEVER be enough resources to save everyone at this point.

It's sad, it sucks, and it's wrong. But it's the way it is.

The one thing I can ask of anyone reading this is, please don't blame the rescuers for not allowing themselves to be shot down and the people making these decisions.

Life and the answers to its problems are never black and white.

~L

Re: Search and Rescue

[shalanna.livejournal.com]

Oh, no, I didn't mean to imply that helicopters should continue when shots are fired, or that rescuers shouldn't back away and find another route when they know there are dangerous people in the area. I didn't mean to say that (though I said "there must be some way around it" so far as loading buses.) Rescue workers have to be safe.

What I was getting at is that FEMA is supposed to be on site in 72 hours, by their own charter, and it was four days. It is said that the Marines arrived this morning, and that more Nat'l Guard people are there, and that water is being delivered in drop-offs. So it's a little better. But the question I had, I think, is getting pretty obvious--because Joe Scarborough spent quite a bit of time talking about it tonight, how gov't/feds should have responded more quickly, on Monday/Tuesday before there were ever any reports of shootings, when everything was still in the "stunned" stage. Had they been there as soon as the rain stopped and the storm was over, they'd have been there before the levee broke, and/or when the water was just ankle-deep, and many more things could have been done. What we're taking issue with (and there's a CNN broadcaster or two who has asked this, although they said they were sure they'd be under IRS audit for years to come for asking on the air) is why it took four days for FEMA to actually start coming. Why didn't the Prez realize this was serious when he first heard that the levee was breached? It was too slow a response.

And that's one reason that the crowds are so upset. They don't see help arriving in numbers. They feel abandoned and they are told to go outside the building and forage for food, that there's no one there to multiply the loaves and fishes, and not even any fishes. They can't believe they're still sitting there in the heat. This is probably one reason that people are shouting.

Now, I don't know what should have been done. I just know that normally, the dropping of food and supplies is done more quickly when they know that thousands of people were riding out a storm in a stadium and they're going to need food. It's not the rescuers I'm upset with, but the higher authorities who had to be absolutely begged by the mayor and governor to "respond to our SOS!"

Some of the most dramatic footage was of the CG copters rescuing people off rooftops. And people bringing their own boats to rescue others off roofs and out of third-floor windows. That was bringing out the best in people. Terrifying to think of riding on that "string" and being pulled up into a copter. Eek! But better than being eaten by the gators!

And I guess what I'm saying is why *wasn't* the area under martial law and covered with Marines or whoever WAY BACK on Tuesday or so? I am all for martial law with the Marines or Nat'l Guard or whoever going in there. They didn't come in. Just minimal numbers were there early on, not even enough to have a visible presence among the huge crowds of "refugees" or whatever they're calling the displaced people. The gov't did not send a bunch of people until just a day or so ago. They should have sent the Marines (if that's really true--I read it on one of the citizen blogs from a man who's still downtown running an Internet server pool) right away, and then there wouldn't have been so much chaos. That might even have prevented the shooting incidents, though that's not a given.

And I'd better never be called on for triage, because I'm the hysterical type who just starts shouting and praying and calling on the Lord and can't even stand up when bad stuff happens *sheepish grin*

Re: Search and Rescue

[wildcelticrose.livejournal.com]

I agree completely that help should have arrived sooner.

I'm working very hard not to get political, but if we had some National Guard at HOME where they are supposed to be, perhaps there would have been more help available sooner.

It's all a sad, terrible tragedy and it's only going to get worse.

It's all so terribly sad.

~L

Re: Search and Rescue

[kathyholmes.livejournal.com]

> but if we had some National Guard at HOME where they are supposed > to be, perhaps there would have been more help available sooner.


EXACTLY!

Re: Search and Rescue

[kathyholmes.livejournal.com]

I totally get what you're saying. I've also had to blog about my frustration. Although I didn't come right out and say what you did - it's implied. But we're all thinking it. I'm from California and I now live in Florida. I've been through earthquakes and hurricanes. Not only are these 2 states more prepared in case of disaster but they also received help more quickly. The mayor says "get your asses" in gear and the government says "hey, your city was already a mess." It seems to be a combination of issues - lack of preparation and now lack of response. We saw better response to the tsunamis. Everybody needs to get their ass in gear and rescue these people and come up with a better plan for the future.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Do please come to Berkeley. At least for a break. It is exceedingly cool.

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

>> But the left behind did not have this option. They're struggling to survive and didn't have the $20 to fill up the tank.<<

Or they didn't have a tank to fill up to begin with.

On the other hand, as Wildcelticrose pointed out, people have also been shooting both at the rescue helicopters, but also ambulances, firetrucks, and especially the police.

[shalanna.livejournal.com]

And that's what I don't understand. Why?? Is this a contingent of crazies? The people who are a criminal element who are enjoying the chaos? Teenagers and young adults who have played too many video games and now take the opportunity to play in "real life"? I can't figure that out AT ALL.

Again . . . I wasn't saying that helicopters should keep going when there is shooting. (Maybe they could shoot back?!) I was saying that the gov't should have sent in more help on Tuesday. Then they could have saved more people.

Surely they could.

"Isn't it pretty to think so."

[madwriter.livejournal.com]

Yes, they should have. And thanks to Bush, it's all Homeland Security's call now.

And they didn't give the go.

Why? Who knows? Even Homeland Security is underfunded thanks to Iraq, and from what I hear their communication problems have been living nightmares.