Some Journey

I have written all my Congressmen to declare martial law if possible. They need to convene NOW and try to do something about this debacle.
Those who would shoot rescue workers and thwart rescue attempts need to be shot.
Their motivation- they want out. They want to hijack the ambulances. They don't care about the weak, old, sick, or young. They are putting themselves first and actually slowing rescue efforts. They are actually, in a sense, terrorists.

I just feel sickened by it all. For the last two days I have literally felt nauseous at the thought of what's going on. Why aren't they doing more to feed and bring water the people at the New Orleans convention center? The elderly and children are dying because they aren't getting the necessities to live. If news crews can get there by the truckloads, why aren't they sending the rations as the people were promised? It breaks my heart to know that some of these people are shooting at the very people who are only trying to help them. It's just too much to absorb.

Never again will I hold the attitude that southerners more hospitable and gracious than northerners. When push came to shove in New York, the people pulled together. In New Orleans, they fell apart. I can certainly understand the frustration of the people trapped there, but shooting at the rescue and relief workers is unfathomable. The people doing that are terrorists... or should we call them insurgents? They have turned the area from a rescue zone to a war zone, and the people suffer and die as a result.

Another I thing I keep wondering: WHERE the HECK is the New Orleans government?? They told all these people to come to the convention center and superdome to be protected, but it sounds like they were no where near prepared to actually have that happen. I understand that it is overwhelming, and that they are short on everything, but every interview I've heard has said that this was not ultimately a surprise. Everyone in that area has known that if and when the "big one" hit, it would be this bad. So why weren't they prepared? Why did the gov't of N.O. stock the convention center full of enough water and food to care for the people they invited to come there? I totally understand that the gov't told them to get out, and many chose to stay and are reaping the consequences of their own actions. But so many others did not have a choice. So many of them were too poor, too sick or had no way to get out. Others I've heard tried to get out, but the traffic was so bad, and the hotels all full, that they had to turn around and come back. So why did the city of New Orleans abandon it's people? I read one blog that claimed that 30 members of the NO city police quit the squad. They just shut down. People can complain about Bush and gripe at FEMA, but the fed gov't is a secondary measure. . .the city itself should have been better prepared to fill in the gap until the fed emergency teams had time to assess and arrive.

If nothing else, it is stark reminder that we cannot put our faith in government. That is such an easy thing to do in the United States, where so often our gov't seems to be a limitless resource. But humanity will always fail eventually. Perhaps the people of NO will see Jesus in the relief workers. Perhaps they will look beyond the gov't and realize they need to know the God who created hurricanes and put their faith in Him instead of a city gov't that fell apart.

I still am in awe of the selfishness of the people. Why would you shoot down the very thing trying to help you survive? WHY can they take in Harry Connick Jr., but not food and water? It's warped, and heartbreaking. I agree Willa. Why didn't they stock the Dome and Convention center if they knew this was a possiblity? It's so unfortunate that it takes such tragedy as this to wake people up to a mighty and powerful God. It is God who is the only shelter, faithful, and just stronghold. I can't help but think of this as a wake-up call to America for just how much we need Him.