New Orleans Rerun

As I watch FOX news this morning I am seeing the evacuation of New Orleans. We learn from our mistakes. Three years ago tomorrow, Labor Day, I boarded a flight to LA to do three weeks of Red Cross volunteer with Katrina evacuees. I went because I could not stand to watch, another day, of people in such dire straits needing help. Maybe being a nurse has something to do with it. None the less, I closed up the house, left it in my daughter's care, gave my dog to a friend and her 3 girls and was gone. I knew nobody when I left and arrived at O'Hare, but made friends along the way.

This time around, as Gustav grows stronger and heads for land possibly taking New Orleans as it goes, I cannot go. I am in a new place, have a new job and the responsibilities are different. I have been contacted by a friend from Katrina, "Are you going to Gustav?" I wish I could, I have the 'itch', but it is not going to happen. My thoughts, though, are with these prople. While I met many who abused the system set in place for them during and after Katrina and Rita, I also met many who did not. I think of and remember the kids. Those are the ones I wonder about. While I tended to the needs of the adults, it was the kids who broke your heart. Some of them have just returned to a normal life at 'home' and in school. It is soon to possibly be ripped apart again.

Should 'we' rebuild New Orleans again? It is a part of our history and how sad to see it disappear. But, there does come a time when decisions must be made. Common sense needs to kick in and intelligent decisions need to be made. If you lived next to a river that flooded frequently and washed away your home, would it be intelligent to continue to rebuild there? Probably not. If you chose to do so, it should be at your own risk and financial responsibility, not that of the federal government. If New Orleans is seriously damaged again, let it be the responsibility of the state of LA to fix the problem. Maybe if more of the decision came out of their own pocket, more intelligent and responsible decisions would be made.

That aside, GOD speed with the children.