Tis the Season

Tis the season-hurricane season that is....

O.k.-prepare yourself. I'm about to get a little political! Maybe it's all the presidential conventions going on that's inspired me, I'm not sure. But, I've been starting to get a political itch that I need to scratch! :)

Yesterday (july 29) was the 3 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast.

 I remember watching exhausted mothers holding their listless babies suffering from the heat and other helpless people dazed and bewildered. It was such an emotional time, filled with anger, grief, blame, and confusion. Who can forget Kanye West on the Katrina fundraising program, deviating from his script and declaring, "George Bush doesn't care about black people!" Whoa.

People are still recovering from that devastation emotionally, physically, financially-you name it.

So, here comes Gustav.

My dad asked me today why I thought these hurricanes were getting so bad lately. Truth be told, no hurricane of true significant force has hit the U.S. and killed more than 100 people since 1972. Katrina is even an exception, because it wasn't because of the storm's force, that it was so horrible.

As of August 30th, Gustav is a category 4 hurricane. Katrina was a category 3. It wasn't because of Katrina's intensity that it was so devastating. One reason it was so bad was that city officials didn't take any preventative measures to avoid the inevitable! New Orleans is after all basically a city built in a bowl-being several feet below sea level, surrounded by easily breachable levees. About a year before Katrina hit, the topic on the Glenn Beck radio show was about how the levees would break if a severe storm hit New Orleans! People were aware of and discussing the potential problem, but nothing was done.

I just pray that Gustav fizzles out before it comes anywhere near the Gulf Coast.

Yes, there is an evacuation process taking place as we speak and I pray that people will heed the order to leave!

I wonder if the citizens of New Orleans know that their rebuilt levees are considered to be weaker than before Katrina hit. I also wonder if they know that it's partly because they have been filled with NEWSPAPER instead of the rubber foam that levees are normally filled with. UNBELIEVABLE. But, true. So, if this category 4, potentially 5 hurricane hits NOLA again, I don't think there would be much for those already wounded citizens to come back to.

Ok, I've scratched that itch! But, trust me, I'm sure another one will come soon.

My perspective-If you know of a solution to a problem, do it! If you can't do it, find someone who can! Vote for that person, ask someone, research all the alternatives, and most of all-PRAY!