Where is the National Guard???

[OhioBeachBum]

I just saw the biggest convoy I've ever seen on 85 south. It took my breath away. These guys had probably 500 trucks with flags flying. It was truly awesome.

:clap_1:

 

[Suncat]

I just saw the biggest convoy I've ever seen on 85 south. It took my breath away. These guys had probably 500 trucks with flags flying. It was truly awesome.

:clap_1: :clap_1:

 

[wetwilly]

I just saw the biggest convoy I've ever seen on 85 south. It took my breath away. These guys had probably 500 trucks with flags flying. It was truly awesome.

Great posts from everyone on this topic. I just heard today that they were sending 1800 Natl Guard personnel per day over the next 3 days. They said that it was to equal the same number of NOLA civilian police normally on the ground (5200). They said that the Guard is trained and deployed for this type of situation, explained that the Coast Guard are all sworn in as law enforcement personal as a matter of duty, and that the active military are not by federal law allowed to be deployed for civilian police action unless in a dire emergency.

Sorry but in doing some math here and 5200 Guardsman (men and woman) may be no match for desperate (some armed) people that number the tens of thaousands. The excuse that it was "red tape" is unbelievable.

I guess at least they are sending them and that is a good thing. I just hope that the situation has not festerd too long and is too far out of control for them to be effective. WOW.

 

[FoX]

As soon as the winds fell below 50 knots, 12 choppers with about 12 guardsmen each should have been dropped around the city. A little show of force would have kept everyone in line and given everyone hope.

Then you start dropping in food and water on pallets to prevent folks from shooting at your marines.

Then you have troop trucks, buses, and choppers to get people to high ground to tent cities and shelters (FEMA) outside the city.

It ain't rocket science. It's about as simple as it gets.

W was more worried about the heckler lady outside his ranch than Katrina in the gulf. :roll:

 

[kew65]

Check out this Blog entry from http://deadlykatrina.com/**

I am enraged at the President of the United States. I
am a 23 year old female and currently reside on the
Eastern Shore of Maryland, having come from a family
that has served it?s country proudly both in civil
service and in the military. I work as a suicide
hotline operator at a local agency in the town of
Salisbury. While I do not consider myself one of
political advocacy or radicality I feel that something
must be said of the nation?s continual unravelling. I
have planted my feet and remained unspoken at the
events since 9/11 - events that I had found myself
periodically doing body recovery as a rescue swimmer
aboard a 110 ft. Patrol Cutter for during my time in
the military. Events that I wanted to speak out about,
but found no common ground or driving force to do so.
Now I have found an important reason from which to
further educate those around me that have no means, or
are plainly ignorant to the foundations of our rotting
American values.

I was born in the town of Slidell, Louisiana.
(Which has been barely covered by the news with the
exception of minor mentions) Many times while working
the various odd jobs after serving a 2 year stint in
the United States Coast Guard I would be questioned as
to where I was from. With the familiar age old reply
of ?Say that again?? or, ?Where on earth is that?? I
would smile and reply ?30 miles from the French
Quarter in downtown New Orleans.? Occasionally I would
even come across folks from Slidell itself, who would
smile at my services and always reply to my questions
with a ?M?aam? at the end of every sentence. They were
courteous, and always engagingly charismatic. This is
not to say that everyone from the state who?s motto is
?Anything Goes? is a perfect saint. Those from the
state of Louisiana are just like any other: average
Americans striving to make ends meet and create a
worthy life for themselves and their family.

Several days ago, Hurrican Katrina wiped out over
85% of my hometown, and currently 80% of the city of
New Orleans is sitting underwater. While Americans are
sitting at home, tuning in to CNN and wondering how
such an atrocity could have occured - there are those
of us that call up memories of certain articles
predicting just such a disaster. The Times-Picayune
reports on August 31st:

In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq
soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20
percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake
Pontchartrain, according to a Feb. 16, 2004, article,
in New Orleans CityBusiness.

Also that June, with the 2004 hurricane season
starting, the Corps? project manager Al Naomi went
before a local agency, the East Jefferson Levee
Authority, and essentially begged for $2 million for
urgent work that Washington was now unable to pay for.

In a nation so concerned with military response
and activity overseas, we can now only hope that a
city steeped rich in history and welcoming tourism
will not ultimately lie in ruins. The New Orleans
depicted in travel brochures, movies and even the
popular Mardis Gras draw will undoubtedly no longer
have it?s strangely inviting wonder and beauty.

The question that I pose to others who cannot
fathom an intimate understanding of such an obscenely
large grief is this: ?Could you begin to describe your
feelings if the city of your birth was taken off the
map by a disaster that could have been aided through
funding that was severed in favor of an overseas war
with no end in the near future??

Tomorrow afternoon I will visit my local chapter
of the Red Cross and insist on being sent to Louisiana
to help aid victims and lend my military training for
relief, albeit small. I urge all of you who care about
American freedom and security to aid in your own way,
however small.

With the matter at hand, I am floored by the lack of leadership and organization. The slow responce time from our federal government makes ZERO sense. With the lack of attention to our on intrastucture, I am enraged!

 

[FoX]

Why are we trying to "fix" the world and make it over in our image (which isn't even close to the ideal model)?

 

[sarahj]

All of our elected officials need to quit vacationing and watch Tony Zumbado's report on msnbc!!!

 

[DBOldford]

Our National Guard couldn't come to the rescue because they are guarding Baghdad while Halliburton lines their pockets rebuilding it. While we're protecting the key assets of the Saudis, our own poorest people are "looting" Walmart for food, water, diapers and other essentials that are the difference between life and death for them. (These are items that would otherwise go on Walmart's inventory insurance claim.) Perhaps our elected officials should think about protecting people who need care and protection the most, that is, poor people who are largely people of color. Tony Lombada's photojournalist report (so dreadful that CNN wouldn't run even a heavily edited version) pretty much says it all. Why was this help so slow in coming, when we watched the horror that was Katrina, sure to make a vicious landing somewhere, for days and days on The Weather Channel?

I have been heartsick all week watching these poor, desperate people. And the truth is that many of them are simply not going to make it, because the help will have arrived too late. I agree with whoever called this a national disgrace. Our friends' daughter, a young doctor at a NO hospital, called in this a.m. to say that the conditions are desperate even in the hospital. Says there is no evidence of humanitarian aid or law enforcement protection whatsoever. She has no idea what will become of the people and staff at the hospital within the next 24 hours and we are extremely concerned about her.

 

[Suncat]

I have wetwilly's same question, although I am in stunned horror and have been for days and am scarcely coherent. Sadly, most of the LA guard is over fighting terrorists in Iraq (so they won't have to fight them at home).

We were able to get water to the remotest areas of Indonesia in the tsunami quicker than to New Orleans.

The NOLA police, for whatever reason or motive or cause, essentially allowed people to arm themselves by Monday night, before the rain even stopped. It was no longer a small number of criminals since Tuesday am.

Complicating matters was the complete destruction of communications systems in NOLA. That threw a wrench into the plan.

FEMA has been practicing on NOLA for several years. If this is the best they can come up with, I want my tax dollars back.

This is what happens when the rule of law breaks down. Shocking to see (for me at least), particularly in your backyard. I now own a charming 3 bedroom house (if it is still there) in Bagdhad.

I'm sure the terrorists are taking notes on just how easy it would be....
Lord help us all.

 

[Suncat]

Our National Guard couldn't come to the rescue because they are guarding Baghdad while Halliburton lines their pockets rebuilding it. While we're protecting the key assets of the Saudis, our own poorest people are "looting" Walmart for food, water, diapers and other essentials that are the difference between life and death for them. (These are items that would otherwise go on Walmart's inventory insurance claim.) Perhaps our elected officials should think about protecting people who need care and protection the most, that is, poor people who are largely people of color. Tony Lombada's photojournalist report (so dreadful that CNN wouldn't run even a heavily edited version) pretty much says it all. Why was this help so slow in coming, when we watched the horror that was Katrina, sure to make a vicious landing somewhere, for days and days on The Weather Channel?

I have been heartsick all week watching these poor, desperate people. And the truth is that many of them are simply not going to make it, because the help will have arrived too late. I agree with whoever called this a national disgrace. Our friends' daughter, a young doctor at a NO hospital, called in this a.m. to say that the conditions are desperate even in the hospital. Says there is no evidence of humanitarian aid or law enforcement protection whatsoever. She has no idea what will become of the people and staff at the hospital within the next 24 hours and we are extremely concerned about her.

Amen! In his comments today, W called this catastrophe a "temporary disruption." Please.
Please let us know about your friends' daughter.