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Who Is Responsible?
by Aaron F.
Here's what bothers me about New Orleans and the storm. First of all, New Orleans is a city that sits below sea level. Secondly, everyone knew the levees would break. EVERYONE! I knew it - it says so in most of the blues songs of the 1920s and 30s from the delta region, which describe in detail the devastating floods of the early 20th century in that region and the work that the poor black people had to do on the levees in order to repair them. When The Levee Breaks Lyrics
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
And the water gonna come in, have no place to stay
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan,
Well all last night I sat on the levee and moan,
Thinking about my baby and my happy home,
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
If it keeps on raining, levee's going to break,
And all these people have no place to stay
Now look here mama what am I to do?,
Now look here mama what am I to do?,
I ain't got nobody to tell my troubles to
I works on the levee mama both night and day,
I works on the levee mama both night and day,
I ain't got nobody, keep the water away
Oh crying won't help you, praying won't do no good,
Oh crying won't help you, praying won't do no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to lose
I works on the levee, mama both night and day,
I works on the levee, mama both night and day,
I works so hard, to keep the water away
I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me,
I had a woman, she wouldn't do for me,
I'm going back to my used to be
It's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
It's a mean old levee, cause me to weep and moan
Gonna leave my baby, and my happy home This is not the first time the Mississippi Valley is under water. It's the umpteenth time. The mayor knew it would happen. The governer knew it too. Even the feds must have known it. Mandatory evacuations should have been implemented the second they knew the storm was turning towards them, or anywhere near the Mississippi River. The constituents of New Orleans and the greater delta region knew this would eventually happen and should have pressed local and state governments for a contingency plan long ago. The federal government should already have a contingency plan for when one of their great cities is struck with a devastating natural disaster - it WILL happen again, next time on the west coast with an earthquake. So who deserves the blame? Every level of government, from the voting public in the delta region, to their local, state, and federal representatives responsible for drafting and implementing policies.
Turn on the television, open a magazine, and you see blame being assigned from one group to another. The city blames the mayor, the mayor blames the governer, the governer blames the feds, the feds blame the musicians who accuse them of racist indifference. It's rediculous! Everyone knew this would happen and no one was prepared. It's a painful lesson to learn, but every level of government, from the people all the way up the to the feds, better learn it well.
But of course, now is not the time for placing blame anywhere. Now is the time for action - to bring New Orleans to order, drain the water, restore utility services, bury the dead, clean up the debris, rebuild, and finally repopulate. After all that is done, hopefully everyone will begin to realize that a natural disaster is no one's fault, but preparation for natural disasters, particulary in vulnerable areas, is the responsibility of everyone at every level of government, from the constituency all the way up to our federal officials.
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