For anyone who experienced hurricane Katrina or knows a lot about it and it's after math

Question

Today I was talking to a friend and Hurrican Katrina came up. She was saying how the media is controlled by the government and they did nothing to help those who were effected by Katrina, because they are racsist.

But her statement almost made me angry because I do not understand how people in New Orleans could expect the government to aid each and every one of them, overnight. That is not how it works. They did their best to help those in Katrina. Look at the midwest. Maybe what happened in the midwest was not as tragic as Katrina, but it still caused a lot of damage and those people came together, to help one another. Once Katrina hit New Orleans though, it was like chaos. People were killing, raping, and stealing from one another. Did these people not understand that they needed to come together to make a difference and not just rely and blame the goverment for what happened.

What is the real truth? Did the government really just ignore those in Katrina, or am I right about them needing to come together?

Answer 1

I was watching a news story about the recent China earthquake. They interviewed a woman who had just lost her house and a portion of her family, being an American interviewer the reporter asked her what she thought of the response of the government. She responded quite plainly in a puzzled manner "Why would I expect the government to come save me I am not helpless". She ends the interview and proceeds to dig out the remains of her house.

Remember the pictures of Katrina (before the news changed focus) that overpass with the old man dying on the curb and everybody walking past him watching him die. The looters walking out with big screen tv's and Playstations while the owners lie bleeding in the back.  The governor choosing not to inform FEMA or expedite the process of letting them in (Federal government cannot enter a state until 72 hours after being invited). The school buses siting ruined in the parking lot because the mayor did not think to use them to shuttle people out (a mayor the reelected against his white opponent). Everyone seems to be rightfully blamed.

Answer 2

It did take Fema too long to respond 5 days is long when you don't have much.But these people had several days to find ways to help themselves and did nothing.They have been thru many hurricanes so it isn't as if they didn't know what to expect.If the Levies had not broken it would of just been a bad bad storm.The flooding 10 feet deep is what was so bad and of course everything was ruined.When help did arrive they herded them to another area that was more assessable and that was bad.The police abandoned them and chaos happened.But most of all the families got a $2500 credit card,they could of relocated and started over,or failing that they could of got paid to help with clean up,they did neither.I donated for them untill the mayor said this will stay a chocalate city and we will help our own.Well that hasn't happened either.It is a lost cause.Those people need to get off their azz and help themselves.And don't forget there were also low intrest loans and free housing,free utilities when it got back on and food stamps.3 weeks ago on the news they are still complaining of no help thats after 3 years nearly.My area got hit with the tornadoes in spring and no noe here is complaining our damage is fixed bith me and my two grown children 150 miles apart all got damage.We are all as if it never happened.I am old so if I can they can.Mississippi never got a tenth of the help New Orleans got and one city there nearly wiped off the map you don't hear anything about them.

Answer 3

I was there two years later and there were people still working on their homes cleaning and building, Yes the government did help Katrina Victims, some people just chose that time to use it as it as an excuse to Rape, Pillage,And Plunder. But there is simply no excuse for what they did, they just made more damage where it wasn't needed. Fema supplied homes for all they could, infact you couldnt hardly buy a singlewide trailor from a dealer at that time because they were being built for Fema and the Katrina victims.They also placed allot of the misplaced families, the Redcross and National Gaurd and other services were offered as well . To this day there are areas still unlivable but as they say "Rome wasn't built in a day" They have allot of tare downs to do in cetain neighborhoods and allot of rebuilds to do as of yet , but they will get there. Don't give up on what our government will do we do have allot going on that we shouldn't have elsewhere...And furthermore yes the Katrina victims that didn't unite to help one another, they sure should not have hindered anyone, there is such a thing called KARMA... And it does bite you in the Butt