The United States likely just experienced its worst natural disaster in all of history. More people lost their homes, their jobs, and their lives than can even be imagined. In fact, there's a good chance that more people lost their lives in this tragedy than all of the victims of the war on terror combined; including the 9-11 victims, the Iraq casualties, and the losses in Afghanistan.

Then why the hell has it taken so long to help these people?

And I'm not talking about the Red Cross of any other volunteer organization, that's a completely different story. They get their manpower from volunteers and their funds from donations. No, I'm talking about our national government... FEMA in particular. How can it take us 1-3 days to invade a country, and over a week to rescue dying people from a hurricane disaster zone a fraction of the size of the country we invaded.

And don't tell me it was the looters either. I'm sure some of them shot at folks; desperate people do desperate and even crazy things. But you can't seriously tell me when we invaded Iraq in 2003 that no one was shooting then... sure didn't stop us that time.

And you can forget this being political... I don't care what organization you sponsor, what political party you back, or what side of whatever fence you're on; the point is... these people needed help, these people needed saving, and our government has failed miserably to help its own people.

Now some folks are trying to blame it on them; the victims. How pathetic are we? I hear questions like, "Why didn't they leave... they could walk." Ok, how many of you have been to New Orleans who asked that? There's only two main roads out... both are interstate. Did you SEE the pictures of the interstate? Would you walk down a road like that with your family? Half of these people couldn't afford the technology to even give them warning via TV or radio, yet we expect them to jump in their cars and drive away while fuel is $2.80 a gallon. And where would they go? Some of these people have a 50 square foot piece of land that contains every last thing they own, and everything they've ever known. You expect them to leave what they already don't have to go somewhere they can't afford to go to begin with? If you are seriously blaming the people who are the victims... just wait until it's your home town. Wait until it's your home, or your family. And before you say, "I'd leave," remember that you have no bank accounts, no car, and no friends to travel too. Then I'll listen to your rants. Until then, shut up.

The Victims of Hurricane Katrina need our help... they need our government's help. It scares me that in FEMA's whole book of emergency planning only 2 plans talked about Hurricane's, and BOTH were related to terrorism in Hurricanes. What the hell is wrong with this picture?

Sometimes I swear we are a rolling keg of black powder heading down the hill to the fire. I surely hope it hasn't come to this. I was ashamed of how our government responded. But I was proud of the people of this country who gave what they could to help those who so desperately needed it.

And now I just pray the next disaster doesn't strike my home town... god knows what the government will do at this point. As Jay Leno said last night... "FEMA - Fix Everything, My a**."


John C. Derrick
Founder