Opinions on the hurricane relief effort

[Inclag]

I was wondering if anyone else is starting to feel critical with regard to the relief effort down along the Gulf. Surely you can't question the heart and dedication of the people involved with the relief effort, but with regard to what the government has done, I'm getting the impression that they lacked some major foresight in preparing for this event.

The storm didn't appear out of thin air, and I would have almost expected that massive relief would have been implemented or in a stand-by before there was even landfall.

[DirtyDog]

I think that it is impossible to form a worthwhile opinion from the comfort of our homes or offieces.

One thing they could be doing is reacting to lawlessness with force. During the 1906 SF quake the mayor enacted an order to shoot all looters on site. Anyone in New Orleans that is hindering relief efforts should be put down. The National Guard is there, they just need someone with some backbone to make some decisions on how to use them.

[Westy]

I think that it is impossible to form a worthwhile opinion from the comfort of our homes or offieces.

One thing they could be doing is reacting to lawlessness with force. During the 1906 SF quake the mayor enacted an order to shoot all looters on site. Anyone in New Orleans that is hindering relief efforts should be put down. The National Guard is there, they just need someone with some backbone to make some decisions on how to use them.

It seems at this point the good guys in this situation have just been outgunned. Where was that armed citizen saves woman thread??

[BikeGeek]

One thing they could be doing is reacting to lawlessness with force. During the 1906 SF quake the mayor enacted an order to shoot all looters on site. Anyone in New Orleans that is hindering relief efforts should be put down. The National Guard is there, they just need someone with some backbone to make some decisions on how to use them.

Where do you draw the line? Is stealing food from a grocery store looting?

While I have no doubt that there are some very well trained/disciplined Guard units out there, I don't see the Guard being given that kind of power. I did a short stint in the Guard and a majority of the people I "served" with were only there to shoot some guns and drink beer. Ask those people to shoot looters and they'll do fine. Ask them to only shoot those stealing non-essential items and you've got a mess on your hands.

Also, if memory serves, 1906 was pre-ACLU. Something like the post-earthquake order would never happen today.

[Silver]

Anyone in New Orleans that is hindering relief efforts should be put down. The National Guard is there, they just need someone with some backbone to make some decisions on how to use them.

Well, it looks like Bush is mildly concerned now. Maybe there are a cache of stem cells somewhere in New Orleans threatened by rising waters?

[Silver]

Where do you draw the line? Is stealing food from a grocery store looting?

How about "If you're looting with a gun in your hand, you're liable to get shot by the authorities."

[DirtyDog]

Where do you draw the line? Is stealing food from a grocery store looting?

While I have no doubt that there are some very well trained/disciplined Guard units out there, I don't see the Guard being given that kind of power. I did a short stint in the Guard and a majority of the people I "served" with were only there to shoot some guns and drink beer. Ask those people to shoot looters and they'll do fine. Ask them to only shoot those stealing non-essential items and you've got a mess on your hands.

Also, if memory serves, 1906 was pre-ACLU. Something like the post-earthquake order would never happen today.

I didn't say shoot looters, I said shoot people who are interfering with rescue operations. Lives need to be saved and thats the bottom line. There is no room for this kind of lawlessness.

[BikeGeek]

I didn't say shoot looters, I said shoot people who are interfering with rescue operations. Lives need to be saved and thats the bottom line. There is no room for this kind of lawlessness.

Yep, my bad. I only saw the 1906 shooting looters thing. I totally agree with you.

[dante]

Hmmmm, wish we had several thousand more National Guard troops here to help out with this. You know, the NATIONAL GUARD, the people who are supposed to help and protect the homeland? :mumble:

[DirtyDog]

Breaking news: sniper fires at hospital evacuees.

If shrub doesn't have a team of snipers in the city by the end of the day taking care of this BS then the government really is spinning its wheels.

I hope shrub handles this situation as well as he's handled WW2.. uh I mean Iraq.

[Inclag]

I think that it is impossible to form a worthwhile opinion from the comfort of our homes or offieces.

One thing they could be doing is reacting to lawlessness with force. During the 1906 SF quake the mayor enacted an order to shoot all looters on site. Anyone in New Orleans that is hindering relief efforts should be put down. The National Guard is there, they just need someone with some backbone to make some decisions on how to use them.

The thing that concerns me though, was that it was in most everyone's opinion this was going to be catastrophic 48 hours or so before landfall. I would have expected that food rations, blankets, national guardsmen, and ships would have been deployed beforehand or would have been on stand-by like I already stated and ready to reach the communities the day after.

I think this should also bring up a valid point of our "Homeland Security". This is starting to make me wonder how effective a response would be in the case of a massive terrorist bombing or other catastrophic event. The destruction seems to be very similar (except the death toll I'm sure would be much higher), and supposedly our nation has been training and preparing for an event of a magnitude of this type of destruction.

[DirtyDog]

The thing that concerns me though, was that it was in most everyone's opinion this was going to be catastrophic 48 hours or so before landfall. I would have expected that food rations, blankets, national guardsmen, and ships would have been deployed beforehand or would have been on stand-by like I already stated and ready to reach the communities the day after.

There are several hurricanes every year and most don't devastate an area. I'm not sure it's practical to deploy massive relief programs in advance of every hurricane. Nobody knows how bad they will be.

[DirtyDog]

Well, it looks like Bush is mildly concerned now. Maybe there are a cache of stem cells somewhere in New Orleans threatened by rising waters?

LOL, well if there's not, someone should say there is.

[Inclag]

There are several hurricanes every year and most don't devastate an area. I'm not sure it's practical to deploy massive relief programs in advance of every hurricane. Nobody knows how bad they will be.

This was a Magnitude 5 hurricane for at least 24 hours (not sure of the actual time it was classified at that) and for some time if it existed it could have been classified at Magnitude 6. There have only been something like 4 or 5 Magnitude 5 hurricanes that have ever made landfall in the US. Yes hurricanes make landfal all the time, but people knew this one was going to BAD.

[DirtyDog]

This was a Magnitude 5 hurricane for at least 24 hours (not sure of the actual time it was classified at that) and for some time if it existed it could have been classified at Magnitude 6. There have only been something like 4 or 5 Magnitude 5 hurricanes that have ever made landfall in the US. Yes hurricanes make landfal all the time, but people knew this one was going to BAD.

Your probably right. Most of our $$ and resources are creating freedom for the Iraqi people :oink: so there's probably a shortage of resources for helping the American people.