Throughout this Katrina disaster I am swinging back and forth between being disgusted with America with the violence, chaos and lack of response in NOLA and being proud of the mother who swims 30 minutes through floodwaters while in labor to get help for her sick son. Today, I am humbled. Countries that are still struggling to recover from the Tsunami in December are sending aid to the US.
Help started to come to NOLA today, and with the arrival of the calvalry its easy to say "yeah, look how we take care of our people, we rock." Let us not forget though, that many of the people there have been waiting on this help with NOTHING for 5 days now. 5 days may not seem like a long time, however, think about this, you are thirsty, you go get a drink. You are hungry, you grab a snack or get dinner. I grew up poor and I know others have as well, more so than I did. But I cannot even begin to grasp not having water to drink. Watching my baby scream from hunger and thirst and know there is nothing I can do about it.
Airlifts of supplies should have started on Monday as soon as the winds were safe for flying. National guard should have been on the streets as well. FEMA and Army Corps of Engineers should have been at the levies fixing them, reinforcing them BEFORE they broke.
Of course, I sit here, in my nice quite, safe home, full of the dinner I just ate, self righteous in my indignation with the response. What have I done? Little. I blog my rants, I have contacted the Red Cross to volunteer my time, I have organized information on resources and sent them to my colleagues and friends. I wish I could go and personally help each person find their way back to some degree of normalcy. I also wish I could bitchslap those who are shooting at the rescurers and taking police away from search and rescue because of their violence and greed.
So, am I proud to be an American? In general yes, I couldn't imagine being anything else. I am however, disappointed in the American government and some Americans.
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