Today is the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall in the New Orleans area and Mississippi Gulf Coast. I couldn't let this day pass without commenting on what happened a year ago.
Many Houstonians have deep connections to New Orleans. It's just a five hour drive down I-10 or a 40 minute plane ride away. Whether it was weekend trips we made there to enjoy the city's culture, food, music and history, romance or just visiting friends and family who live in the area, New Orleans is never far from a Houstonian's mind.
As a toddler I lived on the West Bank for two years (in Marrero) when my dad was starting his radio career. If you get me around anyone from New Orleans for a long enough period of time my speech pattern will revert to Nawlinsspeak for a moment.
I made numerous visits to New Orleans over the years and my godsister still lives there with her husband and kids. I went through a lot of emotions in the days leading up to August 29 and afterward.
Concern about my godsister Angela, her family and my friends. Horror at the first pictures of the devastation. The torn roof of the Superdome. The chopped up I-10 bridges across the mouth of Lake Borgne where it meets the Gulf. Shock as the pictures of the Convention Center were broadcast on CNN and seeing the water pouring through the failed levees. Anger as people waited on I-10 for help that was too slow to get there and seeing the bloated bodies of the peeps that didn't make it.Disgust as the Bush administration cavalierly waited for days before realizing they had a worldwide PR disaster on their hands and belatedly sent supplies in.
I want to say a prayer for the people that tragically didn't make it and the struggles that residents of New Orleans and the Missisippi Gulf Ccast are having rebuilding their lives.
It shouldn't be happening in the United States. But it is.
I lived with him as my governor.
ReplyDeleteThe Richards administration before his was the most diverse in Texas.
Junior's Texas appointments were 98% white males.
When the funeral was held for James Byrd Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson found time to attend it DESPITE the fact she barely got 10% of the African-American vote in the state. Junior was too busy, according to Karen Hughes, but not to busy to show up in a Fort Worth white fundie church when a gunman wandered in.
And you can't explain awy the difference in federal reaction times to four hurricanes that hit his brother's state and an area that went 2-1 for Kerry in 2004.
And please spare me the Bush appointed "condoleeza Rice and Colin powell' line y'all always trot out.
Clinton's administration was the most diverse in American history and the previous record holder was Jimmy Carter.
To quote Ronald Reagan,deeds not words are his problem.