Deluge
The last couple days, I've explored the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina on politics and race relations in this country. While it may be more appropriate to focus on the victims of this tragedy (including my grandmother) and how to help them, I think our government's preparations for Katrina and its response to it raises a lot of questions about our priorities as a nation.
This morning I stumbled upon an excellent post on AlterNet by Molly Ivins that discusses the policy choices our current administration made that placed the citizens of New Orleans at such tremendous risk. Please read it:
A Flood of Bad Policies
Rapper Kanye West was far more blunt in expressing his feelings about our government's reaction to Katrina during a benefit concert simulcast live on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and Pax last night. You can read about it here:
Stars Offer Heartfelt Performances in Benefit
Kanye West said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and that the government is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible." I won't say that I agree with him, nor do I believe that this benefit concert was an appropriate place to make such comments, but I think his frustrations are being shared by many Blacks in this nation right now. We're going to have to face the negative ramifications this event will have on race relations in the United States.
My mother posted a comment to my blog yesterday advising everyone to be very careful not to make Katrina all about race, and she's right. She reminded me that my grandmother ("Bubbie," my father's mother) is neither black nor poor. She is a member of another group that has disproportionately suffered at the hands of Katrina and its aftermath: the elderly and sick.
Perhaps it's simply easier for me to write about the larger ramifications of Katrina for our nation as a whole than to write about the ramifications of Katrina for my father and his family. Frankly, I don't want to think too much about it. I don't want to come off as being unconcerned or insensitive though.
My father called me last Sunday morning, which is fairly typical. However, as soon as I heard his voice I sensed apprehension and concern. Once I learned why, I was embarrassed to tell him that I wasn't even aware that Katrina was headed straight for New Orleans and that the residents of the city had been urged to evacuate. Like a lot of young people in L.A., I hadn't heard about the storm since it threatened to derail MTV's Video Music Awards in Miami.
In a previous post I indicated that Bubbie lives in a "rest home," but it would be more accurate to describe it as an "assisted-living facility." Bubbie had remained in relatively good health and had been living alone in New Orleans for many years when she took a tumble down the stairs in her own house, making it nearly impossible for her to walk and take care of herself. My father took lead in finding an appropriate facility that would care for her and in handling the family's affairs. He has visited Bubbie somewhat regularly in New Orleans since her fall.
My father, who has lived in Arizona for over 30 years, was still living in New Orleans when Hurricane Camille hit in 1969. He described that storm and its aftermath to me on Sunday and it sounded horrific -- his family's house was nearly destroyed and the city was an utter mess for several months afterward. In a sense, he knew what was going to happen to the city once Katrina hit, but he also knew Katrina was a far stronger hurricane than even Camille. He knew that his hometown, a place in which his mother still lived and an unlikely metropolis surrounded by water and sitting in a geographical bowl below sea level, would fare far worse than it had in 1969. However, even he couldn't have imagined the tragic reality facing us today.
I was surprised when my father told me on Sunday that the assisted-care facility that Bubbie lived in was not evacuating its residents. Of course, we now know that many such facilities, along with hospitals, weren't evacauated due to logistical concerns. The management of the facility had assured my father that adquate preparations had been made and that there would be enough food and water for everyone, but I could tell he was skeptical. He knew that the amount of food and water wasn't as important as the very real possibility that the building could be flooded.
I have been extremely concerned about my father since I spoke with him on Sunday. He knew that Katrina was coming, he knew what was going to happen, he knew that his mother was nearly defenseless, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Frankly, I'm more concerned about my father than Bubbie at this point. I called him on his cell phone Wednesday night and left a message for him, but I haven't heard back from him yet. It's hard for me to imagine what he must be going through right now. I'm fairly certain that if he had gotten word that Bubbie was OK, he would share that with me. He probably doesn't know where she is or how she is doing right now and he may not know anything for a long time.
In this situation, it's hard not to assume the worst. As recently as Thursday, I felt it was likely that Bubbie's assisted-living facility had to have been evacuated eventually, but I don't think I was facing the reality of the situation. After reading my blog post on Thursday, my mother called me...my parents have been divorced for nearly 20 years and she doesn't speak with my father that often...she didn't know that Bubbie's facility wasn't evacuated prior to Monday, and her feeling was that, considering the circumstances, she is probably dead. I have to admit she may be right. At the very least, if she is still alive, she can't be doing too well and may be in danger. The more I thought about it, I realized that people had little time to do anything to save themselves once the levees broke. Was the management of the assisted-living facility able to do anything to move its several dozen residents out of harm's way, especially those like Bubbie who can't even walk? Bubbie and the others were literally "sitting ducks" when the floodwaters began to swiftly rise and consume the city.
I've never enjoyed a close relationship with Bubbie. It pains me to admit that she is not a woman people speak highly of and I know that my father's and two aunts's relationships with her are complicated. Despite the fact that my father may have mixed feelings about Bubbie, the bottom line is that she is his mother. No man wants harm to come to his mother, no man wants his mother to die, and certainly no man wants his mother to die in the painful and tragic way many people in New Orleans met their end. Most importantly, any man would do anything to help his mother. The sad truth is that there was nothing my father could have done to protect her, but that's bound to be little consolation to him. As I've stated, I am very worried about his emotional state right now, much more so than whether Bubbie is alive or dead. Even if Bubbie is dead, which I truly hope is not the case, my father will be alive to deal with the consequences and the ramifications. This is bound to be a very difficult situation for his family and I can't wrap my mind around the thoughts and emotions he must have right now. I have mixed feelings about my father not unlike those he has about his own mother, but he is my father and I care about him. I have to accept that there's little I can do for him right now other than be there for him when he eventually does call me. Right now I must give him time to cope.
This tragedy has affected all of us, and will continue to do so. Right now it's hitting a little too close to home for me though. There's a lot of difficult emotions I'm feeling right now. No matter what, life will go on, and we'll all be stronger to have lived through this experience.
Donate to the Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina
This morning I stumbled upon an excellent post on AlterNet by Molly Ivins that discusses the policy choices our current administration made that placed the citizens of New Orleans at such tremendous risk. Please read it:
A Flood of Bad Policies
Rapper Kanye West was far more blunt in expressing his feelings about our government's reaction to Katrina during a benefit concert simulcast live on NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, and Pax last night. You can read about it here:
Stars Offer Heartfelt Performances in Benefit
Kanye West said "George Bush doesn't care about black people" and that the government is set up "to help the poor, the black people, the less well-off as slow as possible." I won't say that I agree with him, nor do I believe that this benefit concert was an appropriate place to make such comments, but I think his frustrations are being shared by many Blacks in this nation right now. We're going to have to face the negative ramifications this event will have on race relations in the United States.
My mother posted a comment to my blog yesterday advising everyone to be very careful not to make Katrina all about race, and she's right. She reminded me that my grandmother ("Bubbie," my father's mother) is neither black nor poor. She is a member of another group that has disproportionately suffered at the hands of Katrina and its aftermath: the elderly and sick.
Perhaps it's simply easier for me to write about the larger ramifications of Katrina for our nation as a whole than to write about the ramifications of Katrina for my father and his family. Frankly, I don't want to think too much about it. I don't want to come off as being unconcerned or insensitive though.
My father called me last Sunday morning, which is fairly typical. However, as soon as I heard his voice I sensed apprehension and concern. Once I learned why, I was embarrassed to tell him that I wasn't even aware that Katrina was headed straight for New Orleans and that the residents of the city had been urged to evacuate. Like a lot of young people in L.A., I hadn't heard about the storm since it threatened to derail MTV's Video Music Awards in Miami.
In a previous post I indicated that Bubbie lives in a "rest home," but it would be more accurate to describe it as an "assisted-living facility." Bubbie had remained in relatively good health and had been living alone in New Orleans for many years when she took a tumble down the stairs in her own house, making it nearly impossible for her to walk and take care of herself. My father took lead in finding an appropriate facility that would care for her and in handling the family's affairs. He has visited Bubbie somewhat regularly in New Orleans since her fall.
My father, who has lived in Arizona for over 30 years, was still living in New Orleans when Hurricane Camille hit in 1969. He described that storm and its aftermath to me on Sunday and it sounded horrific -- his family's house was nearly destroyed and the city was an utter mess for several months afterward. In a sense, he knew what was going to happen to the city once Katrina hit, but he also knew Katrina was a far stronger hurricane than even Camille. He knew that his hometown, a place in which his mother still lived and an unlikely metropolis surrounded by water and sitting in a geographical bowl below sea level, would fare far worse than it had in 1969. However, even he couldn't have imagined the tragic reality facing us today.
I was surprised when my father told me on Sunday that the assisted-care facility that Bubbie lived in was not evacuating its residents. Of course, we now know that many such facilities, along with hospitals, weren't evacauated due to logistical concerns. The management of the facility had assured my father that adquate preparations had been made and that there would be enough food and water for everyone, but I could tell he was skeptical. He knew that the amount of food and water wasn't as important as the very real possibility that the building could be flooded.
I have been extremely concerned about my father since I spoke with him on Sunday. He knew that Katrina was coming, he knew what was going to happen, he knew that his mother was nearly defenseless, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Frankly, I'm more concerned about my father than Bubbie at this point. I called him on his cell phone Wednesday night and left a message for him, but I haven't heard back from him yet. It's hard for me to imagine what he must be going through right now. I'm fairly certain that if he had gotten word that Bubbie was OK, he would share that with me. He probably doesn't know where she is or how she is doing right now and he may not know anything for a long time.
In this situation, it's hard not to assume the worst. As recently as Thursday, I felt it was likely that Bubbie's assisted-living facility had to have been evacuated eventually, but I don't think I was facing the reality of the situation. After reading my blog post on Thursday, my mother called me...my parents have been divorced for nearly 20 years and she doesn't speak with my father that often...she didn't know that Bubbie's facility wasn't evacuated prior to Monday, and her feeling was that, considering the circumstances, she is probably dead. I have to admit she may be right. At the very least, if she is still alive, she can't be doing too well and may be in danger. The more I thought about it, I realized that people had little time to do anything to save themselves once the levees broke. Was the management of the assisted-living facility able to do anything to move its several dozen residents out of harm's way, especially those like Bubbie who can't even walk? Bubbie and the others were literally "sitting ducks" when the floodwaters began to swiftly rise and consume the city.
I've never enjoyed a close relationship with Bubbie. It pains me to admit that she is not a woman people speak highly of and I know that my father's and two aunts's relationships with her are complicated. Despite the fact that my father may have mixed feelings about Bubbie, the bottom line is that she is his mother. No man wants harm to come to his mother, no man wants his mother to die, and certainly no man wants his mother to die in the painful and tragic way many people in New Orleans met their end. Most importantly, any man would do anything to help his mother. The sad truth is that there was nothing my father could have done to protect her, but that's bound to be little consolation to him. As I've stated, I am very worried about his emotional state right now, much more so than whether Bubbie is alive or dead. Even if Bubbie is dead, which I truly hope is not the case, my father will be alive to deal with the consequences and the ramifications. This is bound to be a very difficult situation for his family and I can't wrap my mind around the thoughts and emotions he must have right now. I have mixed feelings about my father not unlike those he has about his own mother, but he is my father and I care about him. I have to accept that there's little I can do for him right now other than be there for him when he eventually does call me. Right now I must give him time to cope.
This tragedy has affected all of us, and will continue to do so. Right now it's hitting a little too close to home for me though. There's a lot of difficult emotions I'm feeling right now. No matter what, life will go on, and we'll all be stronger to have lived through this experience.
Donate to the Red Cross to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina
posted by Mitch Glaser @ 1:09 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
It's so hard to watch the news and see the thousands of people who are suffering on the Gulf Coast. Though we hear their horrific stories, it is hard to imagine the worry and heartache these people and their families are going through. Please know my thoughts are with you and your family...
This is the first account I have heard of someone's immediate family being imperiled by Katrina; it is just ominous and heartbreaking. I have just wept and raged at the kitchen table reading the news, day after day......
Molly Ivins just nails it on every level. For what it's worth, I have recently surmised that George Bush II is simply the worst president this country has ever seen. Blame my faulty understanding of history, but I swear that man is a consummate f**kup on every level. I have been beating the 'we knew this was going to happen but funding was redistributed' point lifeless for two days.........
My prayers go out to your family.......
MitchG wrote:
"This morning I stumbled upon an excellent post on AlterNet by Molly Ivins that discusses the policy choices our current administration made that placed the citizens of New Orleans at such tremendous risk."
These citizens were placed at tremendous risk long before 8/29/2005.
One could argue these residents were placed at risk when the dot-com correction took place (early 2000) because that caused our economy to head south. One could argue these residents were put at risk on 9/11/2001 because that just made the economy go further south. The economy has rebounded, but there are lots of areas where federal funding continues to be denied because the "good" economy is fragile at best.
(Supercomputing and science funding are grossly underfunded.)
Blaming the current administration is easy, but what about the adminstrations of the last couple of centuries? New Orleans has been an accident waiting to happen long before the current administration took office.
Just because money was requested and denied doesn't mean that the money would have been properly spent and that the levee work would have been done correctly. Stating that additional monies would have made this situation better is pure speculation.
With respect to those who say levee monies were allocated toward Homeland Security and Iraq, maybe the reason terrorists have not hit us at this time is thanks to the monies that have been allocated to implement a war on terror.
But, this is pure speculation by somebody using his nice computer while sitting in a comfy chair sipping on tasty coffee. If you think New Orleans is bad, then just wait for that first major cyberterrorist attack. Yuck.
The response to this tragedy by the Federal Govenment is downright embarassing.
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