Comments on Vigilance: On the Katrinafication of the Public Schools

I think we're all angry and anguished, Anon. Well...

2005-09-06T12:06:00.000-04:00

I think we're all angry and anguished, Anon. Well, at least those of us who acknowledge or are "have nots" are angry and anquished.

The devastation caused by Katrina and by our government's inability to get moving until after Blundering Bush touted his War in San Diego, Clueless Cheney finished his fishing trip vacation, Imelda Rice bought her new designer shoes, and Give 'em Hell Hastert attended his fundraiser back home, confirms our worst fears: Our proud C-student frat boy led government, after nearly four years of rearranging itself into the Homeland Security heirarchy still cannot protect us and won't even bother to pluck us off our roofs until they notice their tanking poll numbers.

Sign me,
Disgusted

I don't think Racism has anything to do with the B...

2005-09-06T09:26:00.000-04:00

I don't think Racism has anything to do with the Bush administration's response to Katrina. It is clear to me that non-wealthy peole mean nothing to these "leaders." The census records released last week show that poverty has risen again for the fourth year in a row. Who cares?

America's poor are beneath the notice of this administration. How could they possibly care about the races of people who are already nothing to them?

A friend who has regularly pointed out shortfallin...

2005-09-05T21:48:00.000-04:00

A friend who has regularly pointed out shortfallings in this administration concluded today that the aftermath of Katrina wasn't due necessarily to racisms or cynicism, but by laziness. I won't disagree that laziness lies in the center of the storm after the storm. This administration has an insular, black and white, regimented response to everything because that's a lot easier than shifting through a sea of information and opinions that may not immediately agree with your world view. Who knows? If you occasionally ask yourself the hard questions (or permit others to do so), you might learn something. But that's hard. So when top officials claimed ignorance of the misery in Louisiana, they probably weren't lying. The innermost circle has always protected them from inconvenient facts so the message doesn't get "clouded." In this case, some of that circle were in seats on Broadway, or enjoying the view from a fishing boat. What to do when you advisors are on vacation? It's just easier to go with your gut.

But is laziness a better excuse than racism? Either way, those people who should have been rescued are beyond help. The public should ask themselves, would they tolerate laziness from a physician caring for their loved ones, or an airline pilot flying them to a family reunion? The more authority and power, the more responsibility.

Sorry for the political commentary. I'm just so angry and anguished at the needless suffering and the gutting of the national treasure of emergency response and public health.

Thank you JimK. You are not alone in seeing the ad...

2005-09-05T13:03:00.000-04:00

Thank you JimK. You are not alone in seeing the administration's failure here, a huge failure caused by greed and insensitivity to those in need. Here's what Bob Schieffer said as he signed off Face the Nation September 4, 2005:

SCHIEFFER: Finally, a personal thought. We have come through what may have been one of the worst weeks in America's history, a week in which government at every level failed the people it was created to serve. There is no purpose for government except to improve the lives of its citizens. Yet as scenes of horror that seemed to be coming from some Third World country flashed before us, official Washington was like a dog watching television. It saw the lights and images, but did not seem to comprehend their meaning or see any link to reality.

As the floodwaters rose, local officials in New Orleans ordered the city evacuated. They might as well have told their citizens to fly to the moon. How do you evacuate when you don't have a car? No hint of intelligent design in any of this. This was just survival of the richest.

By midweek a parade of Washington officials rushed before the cameras to urge patience. What good is patience to a mother who can't find food and water for a dehydrated child? Washington was coming out of an August vacation stupor and seemed unable to refocus on business or even think straight. Why else would Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert question aloud whether New Orleans should even be rebuilt? And when he was unable to get to Washington in time to vote on emergency aid funds, Hastert had an excuse only Washington could understand: He had to attend a fund-raiser back home.

Since 9/11, Washington has spent years and untold billions reorganizing the government to deal with crises brought on by possible terrorist attacks. If this is the result, we had better start over.

For those who wish to make donations to the relief effort, you can call the American Red Cross at 1 (800) HELP NOW, which is 1 (800) 435-7669. CBS News will have continuing coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

And that's our broadcast. Thanks for watching FACE THE NATION.

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_90405.pdf

Christine