They Need Help Now !

Good afternoon to all,
as I watch the news and hear the stories as told by those who survived the storm, only to find themselves nearly abandoned in their search for help, it sure makes me wonder WHY? Why, in this nation where we take pride in showing food drops from U.S. planes into starving cities around the world, do we have starving and dehydrated men, women, and most heartbreakingly.... children, the sick and elderly, and pregnant women? I hear alot of word coming from Washington that help is on it's way, but will it arrive in time to save the lives of the most frail of the survivors? I sure dunno the answer, but I do know that something needs to be done.... and NOW!

Where is the mayor? I haven't seen a single word broadcast from him in the past couple of days, is he even in New Orleans City? No tape footage of him at the Superdome or Convention Center, nothing, at least during and after the September 11th tragedy, the Mayor of New York City was on the scene and talking to the people (I'm no Giuliani fan, but that was great). All I can say is that if I were the mayor of a city, I wouldn't leave until the last person had a meal, got medical attention, and got on the bus to their evacuation place. I know it's easy for someone removed from a situation to say such things, but I truly mean it with all my heart. Amongst the hardships survivors are facing is a blatant lack of communication, nobody knows what the plan is, when the assistance is coming, or what they're going to do. Even I am frustrated with the crawling pace of things, and I'm hundreds of miles away. I hate to say it, but what was said to be a well prepared evacuation plan prior to the storm, was not well prepared at all, by all appearances the only thing well prepared was that speech the mayor gave. I also hate to say that the evacuation and shelter plan seems to have been split along economic lines, as little was done for those who had neither a way to get to the shelters nor a way to evacuate. The storm didn't sneak up on the area, and the possibility of a levee breaking isn't a new idea, so where is the evidence of organization and preparedness? Even the ideas of designated shelters not being stocked with food and water before the storm seems to border on the insane. I have to say it again, where is the mayor? Wherever he is, I'll bet he has food and water.

In my previous blog posts, I mentioned an elderly man searching for water, and nobody helping, I also mentioned looters and shootings, while I do agree that order needs to be maintained, the relief efforts cannot come to a standstill, troops to regain order should be sent, but food drops are needed post haste. I've seen the president on television quite often, but where is the federal help? Shoudn't there have been a plan in place before the storm? I just assumed there was one in place, and things would go so much smoother than this.

Today, I donated a little more to the relief fund, but wish I had more to give. I also wish I was certain that help would arrive in time, the pictures of children weak from hunger and thirst tore at my heart.