my soapbox

(*edit: for those of you that have been asking me, I'm no where near the flooding, I'm in the Northwest near Seattle...)

I'm sitting here watching BBC World on Canadian TV (thank god we get real news!) and they are daring to say what us Americans won't... that what is going on in New Orleans SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING! We have the capabilities to prevent what is going on but instead we took our budget surplus and are chasing phantoms emptying the bank. The rich got out of the danger in pleanty of time but what about the rest? The ones who barely had anything to begin with, spending days in horrible third-world conditions only to be sent to Texas where they will have even less with no chance to rebuild their lives. Bodies floating, disease spreading, people stealing guns and starting riots because they are deprived of basic human needs.

A historic city has been lost when the technology exists to have prevented not only the loss of the city but loss of thousands of lives it makes me sick. It makes me sick that we are now complaning of gas prices when we pay at least 1/3 less than most Western countries pay in normal conditions. Maybe in a horrible way this will teach people a lesson, help out, take public transportation... somehow I doubt it.

Ask me why I'm not living here, this is why, I just can't handle the way things are done in my home. Yes there are good things, sure the US news plays wonderful heartwarming stories of volunteer actions and sacrifices but overall I'm at a loss for words. Play the reality in its entirety.

My heart goes out for those in New Orleans that lost their homes, their loved ones and those still stuck there.