Around this time last year, Hurricane Katrina was decimating the entire Gulf Coast as the rest of the nation watched in disbelief and horror. Fingers pointed and blame was shifted. Questions were raised. How could this possibly have happened?! Now, one year later, the answer is finally clear: it was George W. Bush's fault!
As I've listened to the one year "anniversary" coverage and commentary, I can't help but be LIVID with the political spin that is being placed on a FREAK natural disaster. Now, speculation is running rampant over what effect Katrina has had on the President's approval ratings or the Republican party's chances for re-election in the upcoming election this November. The heck?
I had a chance to catch most of Spike Lee's "When The Levees Broke," a four-hour documentary on the government's response to Katrina refugee...excuse me, EVACUEES in New Orleans (according to the film, many were upset with the term "refugee" and claimed that it was racist).
"How could this happen, in the (supposedly) wealthiest, mightiest country in the world? Really, that's the question," Lee said in an ABC News interview.
With all respect to Mr. "Spike," nature does not hold in high regard America's financial status. Since the dawn of time, nature has paid no attention to man, and humans have suffered forever from its wrath. What does it matter that we are the mightiest? Would it have been better if some poor country like Haiti got wiped out?
Oh yeah, I forgot. George Bush was supposed to place a personal phone call to Katrina and negotiate a detour to North Korea.
While I was impressed with some of the production aspects used, the special was excruciating to watch -- not only because of the massive human suffering involved (and magnified by the documentary) but for the unbearable amount of anti-Bush rhetoric.
One interview criticized Bush for his "incompetence" in reaching the heart of the disaster scene: how he opted to watch instead from high above in the safety of his dry plane. But I have to wonder, where the heck did they want him to LAND?!
Of course, Mayor Ray "Schoolbus" Nagin, Sen. Mary "I want to punch the President" Landrieu, and Gov. Katherine "Give me more time to think" Blanco were all given free passes for all of this mess, when the blame, if it can be placed anywhere, should be on them.
It's the local state level's responsibilty to respond first. I don't know why. Could it be that they are the CLOSEST? It is a fact that President Bush was offering full military help to Gov. Blanco; she just couldn't decide if she wanted it or not.
So how is that Bush's fault?
Thank God for His mercy on the Gulf Coast, because had Ernesto come our way, the city of New Orleans would not have been prepared. The local government leaders have been too busy pointing fingers at Washington D.C. instead of trying to fix the damage in their own state. And they've had a WHOLE year.