Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Sympathy for Evacu-won'ts?
I received this from Portland-based talk show host Lars Larson:
Sympathy for Evacu-won'ts?
When terrorists struck New York four years ago this Sunday, Mayor Rudy
Giuliani took charge and New Yorkers pitched in. When the hurricane hit
New Orleans a week ago, Mayor Ray Nagin ran for Baton Rouge, ignored his
own evacuation plan, and blamed the President. Many residents of
Louisiana evacuated, and some could not...but too many simply ignored
the order...some had cars... ...and for those without hundreds of city
and school buses that could have taken them to safety today sit drowned
in flood water. New York cops ran into burning buildings...while a
third of New Orleans cops ran away. On 9-11-2001, New York's crime rate
actually dipped and the same thing happened during the big multi-state
electrical blackout...but in the big easy, too many decided to rape and
rob and loot their own town. Evacuees who lose their homes deserve our
charity and our sympathy. But evacu-wonts... put themselves in harms
way...which meant the resources that should have been reserved for real
emergencies went to rescue voluntary victims. The Big Easy's culture
apparently includes such a dependence on government that those who
stayed didn't put aside even a few days worth of water, food, or
medicine...despite warnings days in advance. Oregon should watch and
learn. We're welcoming refugees...but our so called leaders refuse to
use a brand new multi million dollar building that includes kitchens,
clinics, beds and security. Instead, they get an abandoned school
building with cots.
