[Vision2020] Disaster Response

[Pat Kraut]

You cannot understand me at all! I am heartbroken by all the death and
destruction. I HAVE been poor and really in trouble, yes that means lost
house, unable to take care of my kids and part of my heartbreak for others
is the choices that the powerful people make. Those choices of allowing
people to keep living in an area so dangerous. Storms come every year. That
part of the city was under sea level and the levees have broken before SO,
why were they still there. Why is there still talk about letting them go
back. It was truly worse for them in Louisiana and if it is better in Texas
YES they should stay. And I cannot understand why you think that means that
Mrs Bush wouldn't be aware of that difference for them. So many people are
stepping up to help and doing all they can. Yes, I am a stubborn strong
willed person and I would have done anything to take care of my kids
including leaving by what ever means possible, filling a water jug and
breaking into a store for food. And I would be willing to hit the mayor
first for there being no place for me to go to and no food or water there
for me/us when we got there! Especially since it is his city and he knew it
would happen. Whatever responsibility the Feds bare for this will be
discussed and addressed you can be sure. But for me the city was totally
unprepared and that should have been the first line of defense. You cannot
understand someone from what you think you know from a few posts on this
site or any other.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Hansen" <thansen at moscow.com>
To: "'Melynda Huskey'" <melyndahuskey at earthlink.net>;
<vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 12:20 PM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Disaster Response


Thank you, Melynda.

It is painfully clear, the difference in attitude between Ms Kraut's posting
and Melynda's reminder, the mindset of "me" versus "we".

Thanks again, Melynda.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Melynda Huskey
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 11:11 AM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Disaster Response

I'm often floored by what I read on Vision 2020--I think we all must be,
from time to time, regardless of our political/religious/philosophical
positions.

Today, though, I just have to say, and I'm choosing these words carefully:

What the fuck is the matter with people?

Pat, do you really, really think that the people of New Orleans are dying of
thirst because they were too lazy or too stupid (or maybe too black, which
is what your admittedly obscure reference to the Civil War seems to imply)
to fill milk jugs with water?

And although it's not fair to hold Jeff Harkins accountable for words he
didn't intend me to see, is it a failure of "self-reliance" on the part of
Gulf Coast residents which is killing them now?

Can anyone seriously be saying to him- or herself, "Well, the official death
toll is 58, and we'll just hope it doesn't rise"?

Or, "Well, they chose to live in a coastal city, so of course they deserve
to drown, die of thirst, or watch their children perish in agony."

Please think about what you're saying.  Please.

These are real people, and they are suffering and dying.  They have lost
everything they had in the world.  Please take two minutes to imagine
yourself in the situation of any of these wretched people:  imagine just for
a moment that your own house is filling with filthy, contaminated water,
that you have no way to contact anyone for help, nowhere to go.  No food, no
water, no medicine, no shelter.  Dead bodies floating past you.

The only personal responsibility which ought to concern us fortunate ones in
this situation is our personal responsibility to help those who are in
trouble.

Melynda Huskey


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 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
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_____________________________________________________
 List services made available by First Step Internet,
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
               http://www.fsr.net
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
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