Let's Talk About Disaster...

Blaming people. I don't know what, who, or where do people come up with up with the idea of blaming people for natural disasters. Especially when it's close to home. Yes, I am talking about the Hurricane Katrina disaster, but I would also like to point out Charley, Andrew, Hugo, and countless other hurricanes that have devastated our shorelines. I would like to point out 9/11 and the Tsunami disaster of last year as well.

The reason why I bring these events is because of the fact that they are natural disasters. Quote, natural disasters. Not Chernobyl, Baby Jessicas, or human stampedes. In the latter events, humans are the spark and explosion of concern for humanity. Man has no control over nature. Can I control a hurricane or tornado? Can I really control a pit bull named Jimmy from biting my balls off? In the latter, the human spirit may offer substance or interference. We as citizens of this nation, world, or planet could have stopped 9/11, the Pan-Am bombing, and the hostage taking in Tehran, but just as we as humans can not foresee the future or understand the consequence of any actions, there are things that are beyond our control.

So another words, please don't bitch, complain, or offer any suggestions, because you can't buy a lottery ticket for a drawing that has already happen. We can only prepare for such disasters. In terms of risk assessment and management, these occurrences of natural disaster are so cumbersome to assess and prepare that the reality of the scope of disaster when it does occur is insufficient. Shit happens and we can bitch and complain except for ourselves in some cases.

If you’re an environmentalist, you can refer to the effects of salinization, erosions of our beaches, rivers, and natural resources to nature. We're drilling for oil that will not replenish itself as fast as we take it out of the ground. We're chopping trees and digging for coal. We're stopping nature from protecting us from sandstorms and providing shade from the harmful effects of UV. We're putting chemicals like Fluorocarbons into the air that we breathe. We're producing waste in an exurban rate. We're consuming like crazy and it's not the Irish to blame. No, it's just not the fact of them spring eight children per household, but the fact that it's the J. Lo's and the Playa rolling in Dubs and "Blinging" with the Escalades and Hummer H2's.

Honestly, from this we should blame ourselves. So should politicians. There should be no blame game by each party. Why are the Democrats so upset? Yes, the Calvary was somewhat late to save the day, but nevertheless they did save the day. There is so much work to be done, so why blame someone now? Seriously, why should you break the bridge when you really need to build one? Why didn't the New Orleans or the localized services attempt to help the people, especially Mrs. Clinton, why do you want to investigate why the dikes/levies failed? It's like trying to find out why the World Trade Center Towers fell. Come on, Water + Wind + A Shit Load of More Water does not equal a fun ride at Great America. It equals disaster. I'm all for the helping hand of the Federal Government for help, but if I was the Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, or the Alabama reserves, armed forces, from the Army level down to the Merchant Marines, I would do what could be done to help them right after the storm hit.

Now to the Republicans, why wasn't FEMA more able to do something about it except for trying to get out of the bureaucracy of the Department of Homeland Security? I think FEMA should be part of the Department of Agriculture or Interior, because the goal and operation of FEMA is within each community, rural or urban and the environment to our farmers as well. Hurricanes don’t just effect the east coast and are the main needs of FEMA. Typhoons to the Pacific, El Nino effects, but importantly the emergencies of forest fires, droughts, and blizzards. Damn right Smokey. Doesn't this encompass more than just disaster relief, but our nation's agriculture and general community development?

I do commend our President for one thing he said during his re-election, that the local and state government should be the first to protect and defend and the federal government will support. In another words, a small federal government, but a big local and state powers. Did you know the Secretaries for Agriculture and FEMA are advocates of powers of the local and state governments? This would make perfect sense because who should help the Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi people but that of the people of those respected states. It would take too long for the federal government to react. Don't forget, the powers are in the Pentagon, Capitol, and White House several hundred miles away, but the capitals of the affected states are close within each other. Birmingham, Baton Rouge, and Jackson, Pensacola, and Jefferson City, are closer than D.C. These state governments could do so much more than the Federal government can. Well, not in terms of money, but still. We should help each other whenever we can. Not just leave it up to the Federal government.

Before blaming the government, we should blame ourselves for not helping, for actually helping the cause of further devastation. Wouldn't you want the helping hand of a neighbor, not someone hundreds of miles away? Like a good neighbor, "state" farm is there.