14 comments

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  Mike

  3 years ago

  Sean...
  
  
  
  What you said...
  
  
  
  "There has been a whole lot of finger pointing on who didn’t do what but I look at it from this standpoint. There are many who are guilty and they really should own up to it instead of the fall guy/girl taking the blame for a situation where they had limited authority to act on this. The blame does start at the top. That’s right I said it! Whomever the BIG DOG is that everyone else answers to is definitely to blame first".
  
  
  
  "If they are aware of a situation that is going to possibly occur that may cause harm or danger to innocent and not so innocent people it is there responsibility to make sure all agencies and departments are prepared to react in a timely order and fashion to prevent major lost of lives and or property. Now I know something of this magnitude could not have been prevented but the manner in which the response before & after is to be questioned".
  
  
  
  "The blame starts at the top” You are right on that point and the TOP to blame starts with the TOP in New Orleans and then onto the TOP of Louisiana. Mayor Nagin didn't lift a finger to help evacuate the people from NO. Hundreds of buses flooded instead of being used. An empty Amtrak train that could have been used to evacuate hundreds, but was turned down. Years and years to plan for such a catastrophe and the mayor doesn't even use the plan. So blame the president... A governor who could not make a decision and continued to have spats with the mayor while thousands were in danger. Nothing was done right in NO or Louisiana, but blame Bush... If you're keeping up on the facts the Federal government responded very quickly... There were resources in the area very quickly... But remember the Federal government is not supposed to be the "first responders" in this type of catastrophe, but blame Bush... The Federal government cannot go into a state until they are asked. It’s the law, but that’s just one of many facts that are ignored by the Liberals and the MSM. How about blaming the people in charge in NO and Louisiana? How about talking about the millions of dollars that was meant to be used to strengthen the levees? How about people taking responsibility for their own well being? I understand there are folks who can't, but the majority of the people who didn't leave could have.
  
  
  
  I'm sick and tired of the BS that's spread around just for the purpose of hurting the president.
  
  
  
  You said…
  
  
  
  "We all know the saying “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” and the rumor is the hand feeding the top dog is Bin Laden".
  
  
  
  You're not trying to say Bush is being paid off by Bin Laden now are you Sean? If that's the case then you probably also believe Bush had the levees destroyed with explosives as the “Nation of Islam” race lord Louis Farrakhan is claiming... I'm sorry but he is nothing but a race lord spouting his lies and using the race card for his own benefit.
  
  
  
  Oh, I forgot the president told the rescuers not to rescue any black folks... You know because he's a racist...
  
  
  
  In response to your comment regarding the troops being stretched too far here, you're wrong there also... There were and are thousands of National Guard and active duty military involved in the rescues and security... Neither Iraq or Afghanistan affected their response... Why are we in Iraq? Well that's going to take a lot more explaining some other time...
• 

  Sean M. Crawford Sr

  3 years ago

  Mike you have become too predictable. If it has something to do with remotely expressing a disagreement with anybody that is a Republican trust good ole M.O. to come out of whatever hole he is in to make a comment. Now you are entitled to yours just as I am entitled to mine but I stand by what I felt when I wrote it and that really is that. As for you playing the race card slightly it would take a IGNORANT ASS (that's right I said it) like you to start that one.

  I never once said that the president was a racist nor have I ever really blamed him for the wrongs within our communities. If I really had to blame him for anything it would be for being just as IGNORANT as your ASS is when it comes to AFRICAN-AMERICAN people. You play that role like you care but you could care less. The only black folk you give the time of day to are the ones that have forgotten where they came from and are afraid to let you know where to get off at. Have I not called you out before?

  The truth be told we have been our own worse enemies for a long time and that was a hard pill for me to swallow in the beginning but now it is the hard cold truth. I can accept that. It didn't start when we were brought over as slaves by your peeps. Our own african kings were doing it long before any white man decided to land on the continent. But once again (using my ebonic dialect) you so ignant you can't hear me admit it.

  I am not in the mood to debate you because it's no secret who you bend over and bow down for. And that is your bed to lie in. Debate with someone else.
• 

  Stacie

  3 years ago

  Wow Sean, you really did spark a debate. One strong theme came from Katrina and that is ACCOUNTABILITY. No one takes accountability for their actions. The people left behind didn't take accountablility for not leaving or listening to the warnings. The local and state government isn't taking accountability for their lack of preperation. And the Feds aren't taking accountability for being slow. Sorry, but I do think that the Feds were a bit slow in responding, but please keep in mind that what we hear is from our wonderful media.
  
  
  
  As I said in my other thread, Americans love trends. We'll get on the band wagon to come up with better disaster plans, but that's going to be about it. People need to take accountablilty and follow through with the plans.
  
  
  
  On a side note, WOW. So many blacks don't even know their own history - why the Civil War was fought, how they came to the US, and even that white people were slaves at one time as well. Very impressive!
• 

  Sean M. Crawford Sr.

  3 years ago

  Is it safe to say thank you Stacie? Yes I did mean to spark the debate and the points you raise are all true. I don't disagree that those who stayed should have left (I know I would have), I don't disagree that the local levels should have use much more emphasis on evacuating instead of guestimating, and most definately the Federal level was slow.
  
  
  
  But I have lived in Baton Rouge for a minute and one thing is for sure the lifestyle there is not one of a city lifestyle. Everything is taken in stride so if the local agency did not stress evacuating how do you expect the public to respond?
  
  
  
  All in all there is truly enough blame to pass around and as you put it no one wants to MAN/WOMAN up to where they dropped the ball. But you can be rest assured that when it is all said and done through the tax dollars we all will pay for it.
  
  
  
  *Side note* I know enough about my history to know that blaming the white man is just a cop out. But that doesn't stop me from calling a IGNORANT ASS a IGNORANT ASS regardless of color...right Mike!
• 

  Mike

  3 years ago

  Sean you can call me whatever comes to your one track mind... You did get it right when you used the comment "Ignorant Ass" though, check the mirror... Are you saying the race card isn't being used? Are you saying you haven't used it? Just what is your opinion on what happened in New Orleans? Do you believe race was an issue? Who should carry the majority of the blame for what happened? In your own words the "Whomever the BIG DOG is that everyone else answers to is definately to blame first". Very simple thinking, blame the Big Dog for your problems and do nothing to help yourself. Sit back and wait for the government to come and get ya... Send that mothly check...
  
  
  
  **Side note** YOU are the only person of color I have ever had an issue with. Now what made you change your blogs name? Didn't it used to be "Angry Black Man?" I've read you blog and the angry black man is still here. RIGHT Sean?
• 

  Aaron Brazell

  3 years ago

  Folks, listen. I'm on the ground. I see rich folks and poor folks. Blacks, whites, latinos. Everyone is pissed at the same people. FEMA, the Red Cross and the insurance adjusters. These storms are not about race. They are about f-ed up government beaurocracies that see all of us as 9 digit social security numbers, and not about the color of skin.
  
  
  
  It only takes a drive down Washington Street or Beach Blvd to realize that the tragedy affects everyone down here, regardless of race.
  
  
  
  I'm frankly tired of hearing the bickering about politics and race because I guarantee it is only a topic of interest outside of a 150 mile radius of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. People have lives that they are trying to restore and though they are looking to the government for assisstance, mostly they are looking to each other.
  
  
  
  That is from the ground...OUTSIDE of Washington.
• 

  Mike

  3 years ago

  Aaron, I agree that the storms are not about race, but race was brought in by the MSM and the fanatical Left. What's worse is that the media trumpets all this garbage for one reason, hurting Bush (The BIG DOG). FEMA is not meant as a first responder. It is the local and state governments who are suppose to be first on the scene and to have plans for these type of catastrophes, which implemented can save lives. In the case of NO and Louisiana the police chief, mayor and governor were totally inept at performing there jobs, such as calling in the National Guard and providing security... What was it 1/3 of the police force went AWOL? You've got the police chief on Opra making idiotic statements concerning rape and killing in the Superdome and convention center. The mayor making his outlandish estimate of 10,000 dead and the governor not knowing where she was. It's funny how so much of what the media was spouting during and immediately after the storms are being found to be false, made up trash... But it's all Bush's fault...
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  Aaron Brazell

  3 years ago

  And my point is that up until about a week ago, no one had cable television here and no one except all of you outside of the affected areas were hearing all the crap... or even cared.
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  Aaron Brazell

  3 years ago

  Basically, my point is that anyone who makes this issue about politics - whether right or left - is jaded. This is about people, not politics.
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  Mike

  3 years ago

  I agree, it is about people and that's why the American people of all color are doing whatever they can to help. It's not the average American who have inserted politics and race into the issue, it's been everyone and anyone out there who want to hurt Bush. You know it's true and you know who's doing it... I watched the disaster as it occured and not once did politics or race come into my mind. It wasn't until the bash Bush gang got started that you heard race come up...
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  Sean M. Crawford Sr

  3 years ago

  Let me be the first to say (because bigger men do) if in any way may post and comments gave anyone the impression that I was playing the color card please accept the apology.
  
  
  
  That is far from where I was going with the whole thing but a least somebody responded. How's that Aaron?
  
  
  
  We all know it is about class for real.
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  Aaron Brazell

  3 years ago

  :)
  
  
  
  I wasn't calling anyone out. Just making my own observations that, as usual, is that of the person in the middle trying to get both sides to get together and not hate each other.
  
  
  
  As the blog says on the bottom... this is a free speech domain and anyone is free to make any comments they want... as long as they have thick skin and can deal with the ensuing abuse. LOL
• 

  Vinnie Garcia

  3 years ago

  Frankly I'm saddened that the hurricane has distilled down to a bunch of political talking points on both sides. It makes me mad that so many aren't doing much other than talking about who was wrong and why, when there is so much else at stake and people who still need help.
  
  
  
  For those of you who have never lived in hurricane-prone areas, here is why many of those who may have been able to evacuate didn't: because most of the time those who issue the evacuations are wrong. I can't tell you how many times I was under hurricane warnings when I lived in Florida, but I can tell you how many actual hurricanes I have been through: one. Hurricane Andrew, 1992. After hearing wolf cried so many times you get numb to the whole thing. You still carry out the drill of boarding up your house and hoarding water and supplies from your local grocery store and home depot, but odds are nothing happens and you take your boards down the next day, mad at the weatherman for making you poke a bunch of holes in the stucco exterior of your house and missing a day of work.
  
  
  
  The people of New Orleans have had many a warning that turned out to be nothing. Remember that.
  
  
  
  You also have to remember that many who stayed behind had no other choice. Many people forget that being poor in the US can still mean not having viable transportation, and not having enough money in the bank to get on the next bus/plane out of town, and in a city like New Orleans getting around without a car can be impossible under emergency conditions. Even if Nagin had ordered people to get on a bus and get the hell out of town, where would they go? Some people just can't get out, and none of your complaining at them will change that unless your complaints somehow land them a higher-paying job.
  
  
  
  And about the race thing: I sincerely believe that the whole Katrina fiasco has little to do with race and everything to do with class/social status. New Orleans is 67% African-American so of course there will be more of them affected than anybody else. It's just statistical fact. However, the poor of all races were hit harder than those who were better off because they couldn't do much to evacuate or prepare.
  
  
  
  The only way this will get any better is if we as individuals and as a nation realize that it's the fault of all of us and actually help those in need rather than paying lip service and politics about these situations.
  
  
  
  I've said a lot. Thanks for letting me speak my piece :)
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  Aaron Brazell

  3 years ago

  Amen, Vinnie.