Comments on: Hurricane states: You're on your own, again http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/ Protect yourself from government gaffes, bureaucratic blunders and incumbent incompetence Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:25:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8788 Michael Hampton Fri, 26 May 2006 19:19:57 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8788 "If it bleeds, it leads." “If it bleeds, it leads.”

]]> By: Lenny Zimmermann http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8787 Lenny Zimmermann Fri, 26 May 2006 18:41:41 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8787 Exactly. But the unremarkability of those stories is exactly why the MSM won't bother covering that angle. Who wants to hear that the vast majority of people down here didn't just expect the government to do it all for them? Better to cover the small minority who tragicly misplaced their trust in exactly the wrong place, the government. Of course then the MSM turns right back around and covers ways to rectify that problem that inovlve the very same government that has always been incapable of dealing with it all to begin with. Go figure. Exactly. But the unremarkability of those stories is exactly why the MSM won’t bother covering that angle. Who wants to hear that the vast majority of people down here didn’t just expect the government to do it all for them? Better to cover the small minority who tragicly misplaced their trust in exactly the wrong place, the government. Of course then the MSM turns right back around and covers ways to rectify that problem that inovlve the very same government that has always been incapable of dealing with it all to begin with. Go figure.

]]> By: Michael Hampton http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8786 Michael Hampton Fri, 26 May 2006 17:01:23 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8786 Shortly after Katrina hit, I traveled the South, and I spoke with New Orleans residents who had fled as far as North Carolina. Their stories are, for the most part, unremarkable: They simply saw "the big one" coming, scraped some money together, got in their cars and scattered to the four winds. The point is, they didn't wait for anyone to do anything for them; they did for themselves, and from what I have seen, are much better off for it. Shortly after Katrina hit, I traveled the South, and I spoke with New Orleans residents who had fled as far as North Carolina. Their stories are, for the most part, unremarkable: They simply saw “the big one” coming, scraped some money together, got in their cars and scattered to the four winds.

The point is, they didn’t wait for anyone to do anything for them; they did for themselves, and from what I have seen, are much better off for it.

]]> By: Lenny Zimmermann http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8785 Lenny Zimmermann Fri, 26 May 2006 12:59:08 +0000 http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2006/05/25/hurricane-states-youre-on-your-own-again/#comment-8785 Most of us decide on our own if and/or when to get the hell out when a storm is coming. Most of us count ourselves lucky that at least we live someplace where we can see the potential disaster coming and get out of the way of it, as opposed to living in a tornado or earthquake-prone area (or near a volcano, or near a coastline where a Tsunami might hit because of active fault-lines around those costal areas, etc., etc... i.e. there ain't noplace "safe", folks.) At any rate I think it is ALWAYS a good idea to expect to make those kinds of decisions and to have to do it all on your own. NEVER expect the government to be able to do anything for you, don't even expect your fellow man to do anything for you, just be pelasantly surprised when they do... and they often will surprise you that way more often then not, in my experience. The problem for us comes, I think, from a very long history of an entitlement culture. New Orleans is not a rich city and while many (indeed, I would even say MOST) in South Louisiana pride themselves on their self-sufficiency, there are those folks who, I think, have become reliant on government to take care of them. Who have not the means to leave, but also don't try to plan ahead to take care of themselves by finding the means to leave. Planning ahead and being fully prepared to take of you and your own is always good advice, if you ask me, and I think it is one that the vast majority of us in this region have long taken to heart. I guess in some ways I am just sorry that the country never really saw that majority of folks, they only got to see those who did not, or could not, find a means to protect themselves and/or their loved ones during Katrina. Most of us decide on our own if and/or when to get the hell out when a storm is coming. Most of us count ourselves lucky that at least we live someplace where we can see the potential disaster coming and get out of the way of it, as opposed to living in a tornado or earthquake-prone area (or near a volcano, or near a coastline where a Tsunami might hit because of active fault-lines around those costal areas, etc., etc… i.e. there ain’t noplace “safe”, folks.) At any rate I think it is ALWAYS a good idea to expect to make those kinds of decisions and to have to do it all on your own. NEVER expect the government to be able to do anything for you, don’t even expect your fellow man to do anything for you, just be pelasantly surprised when they do… and they often will surprise you that way more often then not, in my experience.

The problem for us comes, I think, from a very long history of an entitlement culture. New Orleans is not a rich city and while many (indeed, I would even say MOST) in South Louisiana pride themselves on their self-sufficiency, there are those folks who, I think, have become reliant on government to take care of them. Who have not the means to leave, but also don’t try to plan ahead to take care of themselves by finding the means to leave.

Planning ahead and being fully prepared to take of you and your own is always good advice, if you ask me, and I think it is one that the vast majority of us in this region have long taken to heart. I guess in some ways I am just sorry that the country never really saw that majority of folks, they only got to see those who did not, or could not, find a means to protect themselves and/or their loved ones during Katrina.

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