A Pitiable Response to Katrina: Citizens Swept Aside by Government

A few short weeks ago, America was shocked, stunned and spellbound by the specter of a flooded city, desperate people wading through water to find food and shelter, and children being airlifted by helicopters to escape the certain death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina’s flood waters. As many sat transfixed in front of their televisions watching this tragedy unfold, many of us were not amazed that the faces of those left behind were predominantly and overwhelmingly African American. Meanwhile, those running the relief efforts from Washington, D.C. were overwhelmingly not.

And as I called the Department of Homeland Security about the destruction that Katrina had left in Mississippi, I wondered what this pitiable response to a predicted occurrence meant for our lack of preparedness for an unforeseen event like a terrorist attack.