posted September 6, 2005
I believe that in the “emotion” of New Orleans, certain facts have been ignored, either selectively, or deliberatively. “Dog-bites-man” is not a story, “man-bites-dog” is a story.
The media has failed to highlight the fact that almost 2,000 lives have been saved by the federal Coast Guard, that 66% of the police force of New Orleans failed to report for work on Tuesday, that police officers were taped by NBC looting a Wal-Mart etc., etc., and that the governor of Louisiana was DERELICT in exercising her duty.
The affected area is greater than the area of the UK. The problem is GREATER than New Orleans, - however New Orleans is THE news story. The President of the United States declared a STATE of EMERGENCY, BEFORE the hurricane hit the Gulf Coast.
The federal government is PROHIBITED, - by The Constitution, - from sending federal troops into a state, (i.e., INVADING a state), WITHOUT a written request from the governor of that state.
The governor of the state of Louisiana did not even deploy the National Guard Troops of the state of Louisiana until Tuesday.
As a result of the declaration by the President, BEFORE the hurricane hit, a FEDERAL entity, FEMA went into action.
The first action of FEMA was to REMOVE assets, (water, MREs, blankets, cots etc.,) from the projected path of the hurricane.
These “assets” then had to be brought back into the affected area, HOWEVER, roads, bridges, rail etc., were incapacitated.
The federal government immediately deployed hospital ships to the Gulf Coast.
Canada IMMEDIATELY dispatched a hospital ship, and other support ships, to the Gulf Coast, and certain European countries immediately shipped gasoline to the East Coast.
Once the governor of Louisiana, requested FEDERAL support, FEDERAL troops were dispatched. She should have declared Martial Law on Sunday, HOWEVER she prevaricated, AND her prevarication meant that federal troops could NOT be deployed under the provisions of the CONSTITUTION of the UNITED STATES.
Criticisms of the federal government are totally unfair, the governor of Louisiana is technically at fault, if we desire that we behave differently in future then she should promote an amendment of The Constitution that would reduce the rights of the states, - since the request from the governor of the state of Louisiana did not come until Thursday, federal troops could not be deployed to bring order to the city of New Orleans, bear in mind that the police force of New Orleans FAILED to honor their obligation TO SERVE & PROTECT.
We cannot have it both ways, - Individual Rights, Local Rights, States’ Rights versus FEDERAL control. As a country we DECIDED in 1782, (or whenever!), that the rights of the individual are supreme and that federal government shall NOT interfere.
That’s why we will never have a fast-rail system in the U.S. like the TGV in Europe and bullet-train in Japan; that’s why we have not built a petroleum refinery in the U.S. in almost 30 years, - NOT IN MY BACKYARD.
That’s why we do not have a comprehensive national energy policy and why every state has its own unique gasoline formulation, even though global winds blow pollution for one state to another state, etc.
It is grossly unfair to blame the federal government for the failure of the mayor and police of New Orleans to meet their obligations and to blame the federal government for the absolute incompetence of the governor of the state, and for the idiosyncrasies of the Constitution that we all prize so highly.
The MINOR aspects of this MAJOR problem, such as the fact that certain black activists are claiming that it is RACIST to classify the people leaving New Orleans as REFUGEES, is blatant bull.
The people being relocated to Houston ARE refugees, i.e., they are, IN FACT, seeking refuge. The other, - totally untenable, - allegation that the gederal government was slow to react is because there is NO OIL in LOUISIANA, stretches credulity to the maximum. Let’s cut out the politicized bull and deal with the greatest humanitarian disaster that our country has ever faced.
Tommy Lewis
t1494@isp.com
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |
