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Sept. 6, 2005 I was born in San Francisco and I have survived dozens of earthquakes including the killer 1989 Loma Prieta tremor. Patches, my cat, my have sensed that an earthquake was about to hit, but she didn't alert me to the imminent catastrophe. Earthquakes strike without warning, there is no time to pack your belongings and get out of Dodge. As a citizen of Virginia I have witnessed the destructive power of a tornado, meteorologists are able to warn us only minutes ahead of time that disaster is on the horizon. After a tornado warning has been issued we have only minutes to seek shelter. Hurricanes, on the other hand, are plodding monstrosities that travel at about eight miles per hour. Hurricanes don't sneak up on an unsuspecting population, we have plenty of time to safely evacuate ahead of the approaching apocalypse. Hurricane Katrina struck the tip of southern Florida as a category 1 hurricane, we marveled at the destructive power of this cat 1 storm. After devastating Florida, Katrina slowly churned her way across the warm waters of the Gulf, bulging in size and strength until she was a category 5 behemoth. For three days, the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans watched CNN and FOX News as Katrina zoomed in on their state and city respectively, but took no measures to protect their constituents other than to warn their them to evacuate. Most of the middle class heeded the warning and escaped with their SUV's laden with their belongings, but unfortunately New Orleans has a huge black underclass that didn't have the means to evacuate. To warn the poor who don't have cars or ready cash to evacuate, without offering them any assistance, is cruel, stupid and the height of criminal negligence. Because of the inexcusable negligence of Ray Nagin, the mayor of New Orleans, as many as 10,000 citizens of the Big Easy may have died. Ray Nagin now presides over a ghost city that is almost completely flooded, in the next few weeks the flood waters will be drained, and the enormity of this catastrophe will hit home. The friends and family members of those 10,000 dead citizens deserve an answer as to why their loved ones died needlessly. Once the search and rescue missions have been completed, it will be time for answers. We need a "Hurricane Katrina Commission" to make sure this tragedy is never repeated. ------------ About the author: Robert Paul Reyes is a columnist for the Lynchburg Ledger and has written over 100 articles for Useless-Knowledge.com. Email: rreyes4966@aol.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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