Good commentary on Katrina
I know everyone is getting tired of hearing about Katrina but this was sent to me the other day and I wanted to share it. I have all the sympathy in the world for the people that lost everything there, but there comes a time when those people have to do something about it. I know that not all of the people of New Orleans fit into the category of looking for a handout but there are plenty that are. Read this commentary, I found it very interesting.
In 1927, a major unnamed hurricane struck the city of New Orleans.
>
> It was actually more powerful than Katrina. The scope of damage was
> much more severe because this particular hurricane actually hit the
> city. Katrina missed it by 25 miles.
>
> The interesting difference is the response the government gave in
1927
> to those hurricane refugees, compared to the refugees of Katrina,
> err-I meant "survivors" ---(sorry Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson).
>
> How much aid did the government dispense at that time? Zero, nada,
not
> one dime. And you know how much aid the army offered? The only aid
> from the army came in the form of loaning the city of New Orleans
> tents and camp stoves. Ironically, later, the army sued the city for
> reimbursement.
>
> So what was the big difference here? It was the attitude the people
> had towards the government at that time, compared to the attitude
that
> Katrina's victims have. The 1927 survivors" expected nothing from the
> government.
>
> 80 years ago, people understood that the government was there to
> "protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Today,
> Americans expect the government to"provide life, liberty and the
> pursuit of happiness." That's a major difference.
>
> And now, a week later, when the government failed on all three levels
> of local, state, and federal to provide for their needs, Americans
> were sorely disappointed.
>
> Reverend Jackson and reverend Sharpton spend their opportunities
> arguing about semantics. "They shouldn't be called refugees, they
> should be called survivors" Unfortunately, they missed the boat. It
> was a perfect opportunity to deliver a very basic message to their
> people.
>
> Fact, if you are poor and uneducated in America, this is what
happens.
> Fact, if you depend on the government, you will be sorely
> disappointed. Fact, if you are poor in America, there is no reason
for
> you to be uneducated. Its free! 12 grades. And if you really apply
> yourself, there is enough grants and assistance out there for higher
> education, which will raise you above the poverty level. And no
longer
> will you depend on the government and be disappointed. Its
unfortunate
> that this lesson will be missed by most of the "survivors".
>
> A couple of other points should be brought to light. G. W. has asked
> the congress for 50 billion dollars worth of aid for the "survivors"
> and clean up of the city. Interesting isn't it? One million people
> displaced and out of work in that city, sitting all day in shelters,
> waiting for the next handout. Of course, the thought never occurred
to
> anyone that just maybe, "hey, we should give all these folks jobs
> filling sand bags to plug the levees and clearing trees." (Wonder how
> many of them would want government aid if they had to work for it?)
>
> And finally, they haven't hardly begun the task of picking up dead
> bodies, and already the finger pointing has started. The
congressional
> hearings and probes will go forever. Millions will be spent on a
> wasted diatribe of a bipartisan "witch hunting expedition"- all of
> which will be nonsense. If you're a democrat, you are going to blame
> the president. If you are a republican, you are going to blame the
> mayor and the governor.
>
> This is another case in point of how the government will once again
> fail its people, they could have spent the millions educating the
poor
> and misplaced citizens of New Orleans so that they could go out and
> get a new and better life, instead of wasting it on useless blame
> investigations.
>
> Well, I'm just a dumb redneck joke teller and certainly not educated
> enough to run my government. I'm sure that there are plenty of people
out there who will tell me why my ideas and thoughts will not work.
>
> Maybe I should just stick to joke telling, eh?
>
> Signed,
>
> Martin aka the postman
> Editor, The Postman's Corner.
>
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