Katrina, and the UN

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by ktsnake

Poverty is a choice. Sure, some because of their backgrounds are at a huge disadvantage, but there is still every opportunity for success. If you spend your entire life expecting somoene else to provide for you, from time to time, you'll be let down.

It is a harsh statement, but there's also an element of truth.

Some people are born into bad situations, but they can often be overcome.

Some people are born into great wealth and status and don't take advantage of it.

Some from both sides expect to be taken care of. Sometimes it doesn't happen.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by f8nacn

...and while we have many comments about it, what are we doing to help further establish/better the people that we are so-called condemning.

So many people (don't know a round-about number) donated money and food and clothes and other goods. It's not our fault that alot of the unfortunate took advantage of the help they were given. What do we have to do? Give them everything we have? When you've already given, and it's not used for its actual purpose, then that's their own fault if they end up homeless and without a job.

[f8nacn]

So basically we are too afraid of a certain people/population that we won't lift a helping hand?

[shinerbock]

Yes. If you were a family leaving New Orleans, would you endanger your family by picking up a couple of thuggish looking people? I wouldnt.

[f8nacn]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Yes. If you were a family leaving New Orleans, would you endanger your family by picking up a couple of thuggish looking people? I wouldnt.

And what if those "thuggish looking people" had children and nothing with them but the clothes on their back? Would you still feel the same way?

[f8nacn]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

So many people (don't know a round-about number) donated money and food and clothes and other goods. It's not our fault that alot of the unfortunate took advantage of the help they were given. What do we have to do? Give them everything we have? When you've already given, and it's not used for its actual purpose, then that's their own fault if they end up homeless and without a job.

Thus the very reason I don't donate to LARGE agencies where the administrative costs cut a huge percentage of that which is actually given to help those in deseparate situations.

[shinerbock]

Well I don't usually think of families as being "thuggish" so no.

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by ktsnake

Do all people have free will? I think yes -- and yes, that's a generalization. All of us of able mind and body have free will. That means that we can either take advantage of opportunities, or we can fail to. Any reason given for failing to take advantage of an opportunity is nothing more than an excuse.

How many of the unemployed people of New Orleans are still unemployed even when construction firms are bringing in as many laborers as they can possibly scrounge up from other states?

Let's say my mom had me when she was 15 and addicted to crack, and has been abusive or absent since then. We live in the projects and I never finished high school and can't read, because when I was a kid my mom resented me more than anything and didn't give a shit if I went to school. Most of the time I was hungry, and I might have some form of mental illness and possibly diabetes, but nobody ever took me to the doctor so to you and everyone, I have "able mind and body." Now I'm 20. I have no education or skills. Please tell me what opportunities I have.

It's all well and good to talk about opportunities. You and I have had plenty of them and have taken advantage. That doesn't mean everybody has been so fortunate.

Here's what I don't understand, though. Say your home and everything around it was destroyed by Katrina and then you rebuild. Is it reasonable to expect any assistance if your home and everything around it is destroyed by a hurricane again in the future? Even I would say "no" to that.

[f8nacn]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

Let's say my mom had me when she was 15 and addicted to crack, and has been abusive or absent since then. We live in the projects and I never finished high school and can't read, because when I was a kid my mom resented me more than anything and didn't give a shit if I went to school. Most of the time I was hungry, and I might have some form of mental illness and possibly diabetes, but nobody ever took me to the doctor so to you and everyone, I have "able mind and body." Now I'm 20. I have no education or skills. Please tell me what opportunities I have.

It's all well and good to talk about opportunities. You and I have had plenty of them and have taken advantage. That doesn't mean everybody has been so fortunate.

Here's what I don't understand, though. Say your home and everything around it was destroyed by Katrina and then you rebuild. Is it reasonable to expect any assistance if your home and everything around it is destroyed by a hurricane again in the future? Even I would say "no" to that.

The first two paragraphs were very REAL and valid arguments. The same could be considered around the coastal areas of other US States...they rebuild to a higher level of flood resistance...

[shinerbock]

Plenty of people overcome obstacles and hardships on their way to success.

Regarding New Orleans, it is a completely different situation involving rebuilding. Much of the city expects to be rebuilt by the government, which is absurd. It is a much different situation from a hurricane striking the Florida panhandle, where people rebuild for themselves, because they have the ability to do so.

[f8nacn]

Are those sections of the government that are expected by rebuilt by the government, government controlled land. The last I heard was sections of the town were being sold to independent developers, which in turn, would result in those who lost their homes during Katrina wouldn't be able to afford to come back to those areas anyway.

[shinerbock]

Well I think people expecting their government housing to be rebuilt is a little ridiculous.

[macallan25]

No, I don't have a heart for lazy, ignorant people that stayed in New Orleans in their shanties after being continuously warned that the hurricane had reached catastrophic proportions. Then, when their lives were destroyed by the worst natural disaster in US history.....they take the easy cop out and blame Bush or the US Government instead of looking at their own mayor and governor whom didn't provide for a mandatory evacuation until 19 hours before landfall and didn't fix the inaduquate levees which caused 80% flooding in the city, even though civil engineers had warned them in 1986 that a massive hurrincane would render them useless.

Originally Posted by f8nacn

From reading the article it just expressed the UN's findings after being asked to review the circumstances during and after the events of Hurricane Katrina. Only people who have NO heart would say that the article was completely IDIOTIC! What if you were in that situation, how would feel if you weren't provided with the basic privilege of being able to leave your home! We have so much to say about blacks and poor people without walking in their shoes for a day!

All the UN can do is make a recommendation or suggestion (as stated by the article) - they can't force or MAKE the US do anything.

And in what way is the UN biting the hand that is feeding them! Personally, I definitely disagree.

[f8nacn]

Originally Posted by macallan25

No, I don't have a heart for lazy, ignorant people that stayed in New Orleans in their shanties after being continuously warned that the hurricane had reached catastrophic proportions. Then, when their lives were destroyed by the worst natural disaster in US history.....they take the easy cop out and blame Bush or the US Government instead of looking at their own mayor and governor whom didn't provide for a mandatory evacuation until 19 hours before landfall and didn't fix the inaduquate levees which caused 80% flooding in the city, even though civil engineers had warned them in 1986 that a massive hurrincane would render them useless.

I do agree with you that the blame and anger was cast on President Bush without looking at the immediate persons in charge (i.e., Mayor and Governor); however, I will not chastise a group of people with limited access to funds, transportation, etc. I will not call them ignorant or any derogatory name that I've witnessed from others. No one knows the circumstances and what TRULY went on despite what the media portrays! I guess would have confidence in my leaders if they have provided a place of shelter (i.e., the superdome, convention center, etc.,) that those places will be just that, a means for me to escape without leaving the city. They had confidence that they would be safe there...it turns out it was quite the contrary....yet that is known looking back, not when faced with difficult decisions. How many of us would willing leave our homes, our tradition, our heritage? Most of us would wait or even attempt to ride it out because we don't want to leave that which we value.

[shinerbock]

From what I've heard, some of the people in the superdome were more dangerous than the storm outside...