Why Do We Care?

There are many times in life when it is wise to step back and see the trees in the forest...

It has been almost 2 years since Hurricane Katrina ripped the gulf coast, destroying countless homes, flooding dozens of counties, and sparking a huge political debate.

Huh?

Only in American can a natural catatrosphic weather event be politicized ad nauseum. While left wing pundits continue to try to make it a reason to bash the current party holding the white house, the trees in the forest are being ignored, and for good reason. After all, no self respecting, whining left wing liberal extremist wants to see the trees of good sense and responsible thinking. All they want to do is color the forest in a dark shade of gloom and irrational, emotionally charged misthinking.

First, let's examine the "fair" city of New Orleans, which received the lions share of press coverage. Why do we care? Because New Orleans, and the destruction thereof, was populated heavily with citizens that the Democrats and their liberal press soldiers consider "their constituents." But a closer look at the "trees" in New Orleans reveals a story that was totally ignored by the left wing press. First of all, government studies revealed that approximately 80% of New Orleans residents were receiving some form of government assistance. Translation: 80% of the population was getting either free food, free room and board, free utilities, free paychecks, or some combination of any of these. That number is almost unthinkably high, even in some of America's poorest cities. New Orleans also had a very high crime rate (and still does) whereas considering the major categories of crimes (Larson, theft, murder, etc.) New Orleans routinely average about 1.5 times greater the national average. New Orleans also had a high number of citizens who were disabled or elderly and poor. Reflections of this fact was seen nightly on the news for weeks after the hurricane, and yet many polls indicated that the vast reason given as to why people did not leave New Orleans when told about the approaching Hurricane was, "I just didn't want to leave." EVERY person who lived in New Orleans represented a precious life that Christ gave His life for, and that fact arises higher than any other. But it is always very wise for us to consider all the facts, and see the trees in front of us. So why did New Orleans receive almost all the press coverage, and other areas and town were basically ignored? Was it for political reasons? Since the mainstream press is overtly liberal, what agenda did they have in mind?

Another oft repeated phrase in the liberal media and in their coverage of the hurricane aftermath was, "how could this have happened?" Or, "the unthinkable has happened." Well, pity to those who had the poor sense to say such a thing. Here are the facts in that forest!
1. New Orleans is bordered by 3 major bodies of water. First, lake Pontchartrain to the North, the mighty Mississippi to the East, and then the Gulf of Mexico to the South. Lake Pontchartrain is basically a huge swamp that has an ever-changing shoreline and is very susceptible to follow the Mississippi in its flood stages, which happens routinely all year round. Of course, the gulf of Mexico is like a giant funnel, sucking in hurricanes at the rate of about 5 a year. So, New Orleans isn't exactly what you would call a "dry city" by any means. Damp, moist, and humid, the city of sin invites water like Paris Hilton invites photo's.
2. New Orleans is, on average, 6 feet under sea level. Mind you, that sea that is so level is basically on the southern doorstep of the big easy. Find another U.S. city that is 6 feet under sea level. Surrounded by 3 massive bodies of water, and 6 feet under sea level. Yep, hard to imagine flooding happening in that situation!
3. New Orleans has been totally dependant upon levee's and bilge pumps for its very survival for countless decades. Every day without major flooding was a gift from God. A good analogy would be to try to build a city on the very edge of an active volcano, and then declare after a major fire, "how could this have happened?" How, indeed.

Two years later, New Orleans has become synonymous with Hurricane Katrina, and yet the rest of Louisiana and all of Mississippi's shoreline residents get nothing but a footnote mention, ever. Why? Decide for yourself. While inhabitants in these other areas quietly rebuild and return on their own, the whining and complaining about the alleged "injustice" in New Orleans continues. And just recently, a special report shows that crime is rampant in the big easy once again, as the police force works out of trailers, trying to bring order to a city that has been known for decades as the best place in America to "go slumming."

Why do we care if that wretched place is ever rebuilt? That is a really good question. New Orleans was always dirty, crime-ridden, and slummy, on its best day. Full of crime, prostitution, and drug use, it was hardly the envy of any other town in America. It had little charm, unless you consider going to see topless women dancing in store and bar windows "charming." However, good, decent people died in that horrible hurricane, and as hard as it may be to imagine for anyone who knows what it is to grow up in safe, clean, law abiding neighborhoods, it was "home" to hundreds of thousands of residents. No one wants to see their home destroyed. No one wants to see elderly citizens drown, suffer, or be displaced. The city as a whole was a nasty place to live by almost any standard, but every person in that city suffered in some way -- not at the hands of the government, but because of a natural disaster that will, given time, return to visit New Orleans once again.

It is not the government's job to secure safety for residents who choose to live anywhere within 10 miles of the gulf coast. Sooner than later, anyone with enough sense to breathe had better understand that building, or choosing to live on the gulf of Mexico (not to mention the panhandle and entire state of Florida, much less the entire east coast area) is an open invitation for disaster to strike. If you build on the gulf of Mexico, you will, sooner or later, be significantly impacted by a hurricane. No exceptions. So roll the dice, and don't whine when your number comes up. It's no one's fault but your own. And by the way, don't forget that New Orleans is already under water, technically, metaphorically, and literally. It might not be your wisest first choice for a gulf coast home location.

Aspire to visit areas on the water, but get smart and move inland. A good suggestion might be somewhere near a forest.