lola

I am upset and frustrated beyond words at the situation in the south right now. I have a lot of thoughts and opinions about what's going on, and they're not at all organized so just deal with my rambling cause I have to get this out or I'll explode.

I feel extremely let down by my government. In a disaster situation I would expect rapid, organized action from the powers that be to help those in danger. I don't see that happening. The Red Cross is doing all they can, but what does our government do? Hold a fucking fundraiser?! How about getting people the hell out of there first, fundraising second? Oh yeah that's right, we have almost no resources over here cause they're all in Iraq.

I am so pissed off at the way major media is trying to justify our lack of response towards the people stranded in NOLA. First it was "we told them to evacuate, they were just stubborn and refused to leave!" Um, first of all they were given very little time to evacuate. Second, many did not have any method of transportation. What if you were without a car, had little to no money, had a family and no way to leave the city on such short notice? Of course you'd try to ride the storm out. This bullshit is just blaming the victim.

The more recent news coverage is all about the "looters" and the small minority of crazy asshole fuckers who are shooting at helicopters, raping, murdering, etc. I love how people finding supplies to help them survive are being portrayed as "looters." How the fuck are you supposed to BUY food and water when no stores are open?! I know that talking about the very small percentage of horrible psychos makes good news, as opposed to talking about the TENS OF THOUSANDS of people who are hungry, thirsty, frightened, and desperate for help. But why are we demonizing an entire population of people for the acts of a few?

....oh, wait, I bet I know why. Because our society is extremely racist and classist, much more than I ever would have suspected before hurricane Katrina. I know it's not really my place, as a middle class white person, to accuse anyone of such traits, but do you think that if the people stranded without food and water and transportation were a bunch of white middle class suburbanites that the evacuation would have taken so long?

Why the fuck can our government spend billions of dollars and send thousands of people to another country to kill people but we can't find the money or the rescuers to save our own citizens? I have never felt so betrayed by my government before. I was pissed when Bush got reelected, yes, but I didn't realize how bad the situation had gotten until now.

Thursday at school I was looking at pictures on my laptop of people waiting to be rescued. After a few minutes I just burst into tears - of anger, frustration, and helplessness. I feel like it is the government's responsibility to be helping, but because they aren't I wish I could take up the slack. I'm broke as fuck and can't donate anything, and I have no skills that would be useful in this disaster. Even if I did, I can't afford to leave work, let alone afford travel costs to the area.

I don't know how to end this post. I would say that I hope for the safe recovery of everyone that was stranded, but it's too late for that. I would place my faith in those with power to rescue those in need, but my faith has been shattered. All I can do is pray it doesn't get worse.