News Coverage focusing only on negative

[Lady's Human]

Paul,

My main confusion in this is not with Mayor Nagin's actions. I just think his post disaster reaions could have been a little better. He reminds me of a commander I had when I was in the field and our field site was hit by a tornado. He ran to our higher HQ in his skivvies and stammerred to our BC "sir, M-16's, tents, gone, tornado, " and a few other incoherent statements. The BC asked him "Mark, what about your people?" after which the CO said a few obscenities and ran back to our AO to check on us.

The main questions I would like to see answered once the situation is well in hand are:

First, why was the LA National guard not mobilized and directing the evacuation of NO from the beginning?

Second, Why were schoolbuses destroyed in the flooding? They should have been loaded with every soul in the area and moved north. Instead they now lie rusting in place.

Third, something needs to be done so the Federal Government CAN just react and not wait until all the "i"s are dotted and the "t"s are crossed. Those troops from hood should have been moving out as soon as possible, not waiting on the Governor's request.

The ball was dropped in many areas, and I hope that the rulebook gets re-written.

[lizbud]

Originally posted by Paul


   Years after the Y2k preparedness, September 11th, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security and while in a state of war, it's unbelievable how totally unprepared our country is. We have paid billions to prepare for a terrorist attack but we are unprepared for a disaster given days of warning.

   Given the poor and overwhelmed media coverage I would not blame Mayor Nagin. I imagine his actions have saved hundreds of thousands of lives. The only way I can imagine you blaming him would be if you said he was on vacation.

   All government officials should have had General Honore's attitude from Mayor Nagin to the President.

      Paul

Amen brother. I believe it took Mayor Nagin to publicly say
what a lot of Americans were thinking & wished they could have
said. And say it in plain desparate English. Get off your A****
and send help now.

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by lizbud
So, several cities covering roughly the size of Great Britian, has
an enemy attack, major emergency of any kind and they have
lost all power to communicate their need and the Federal Gov.
would never step in to help?

You are absolutely correct.


Just like 9/11 - everyone knew, especially GWB, that four planes were gonna be hijacked and pinballed into the ground.


Please.

Everyone wants the government not to meddle, but let's get a teat in the wringer and Uncle Sam should come out to assist?


One thing that everyone fights about is a fricking national ID card.

Guess what? you lose your wallet and all your ID...... With your finger print on file you could go into a Social Security Office, present your thumb and get some money, disaster assistance..

Your finger print lets some one know you are OK. and it also lets your loved ones know if that is your body they find in the water.

A new driver's license? same thing.
IT's too easy and my civil rights are gonna be violated.
-----------------------


PCB,

I have lived thru ALL of these earthquakes. a flood or hurricane no, never thank god.

1971 6.7 San Fernando (Sylmar)
1973 5.9 Point Mugu
1979 5.2 Malibu
1981 5.5 Santa Barbara Island
1987 5.9 Whittier Narrows
1988 5.0 Pasadena
1989 5.0 Malibu
1990 5.3 Upland
1991 5.8 Sierra Madre
1994 6.7 Northridge

If you remember the last natural disaster you were in you had to wait for electricity, gas and the water to be declared safe to use again.

You learn patience after you find that you are safe, can fend for yourself and don't need the help others do.


Think about this
Those who do not die in the initial disaster will die of
Injuries, post event
Preexsisting conditions
giving up the will to live after losing everything they own.


I really thought is was great that the reporters picked the most dramatic, most pained and distraught people to interview.

It just primes the hysteria and ill will towards all the good that is being done.

Patience is better than running headlong into a darkened room,
You'll find the opposite wall with your head...

P.s. read the post about the Planes, Trains and Trucks, I am sure you have a better way of getting tons of supplies into that situation.

[carole]

PCB you took the words right out of my mouth, I agree 100 percent with you, yes I would like to see if we were in these poor people's unbearable situations just how much patience we would have.

I don't confess to know all the politics about this, but all I can see is that NOT enough is being done to help these poor people, I am astounded, it seemed when the Tsunami hit that aid was pouring in left right and center, but this is YOUR people and it is NOT happening, I just cannot understand it all and don't proclaim to, but I just cannot fathom what is happening here.

[Lady's Human]

Carole and PCB,

The aid IS flowing in, but CNN et al prefer to show the negative and not the positive. (No ratings in positive coverage)

To expand a little on my comments about Mayor Nagin, let me put it this way. It's fine to have a meltdown when you're a leader. Hell, it would be inhuman not to occasionaly. BUT...

In a crisis, you're the one people are looking to for leadership. Have your meltdown in private. Scream at people over the phone, in your office, tent, wherever, but not in front of the media. All it does is stir the hysteria.

[carole]

Thank you for explaining things, after all we here down under only have what we see in the media to go by, I know there is more to it all than just what we are seeing, but what we are seeing is terribly distressing all the same.

[RICHARD]

Here's a story I just saw on the tube.


28 preemie babies, who where holed up in a hospital in N.O. for the entire storm, were flown to safety today.


They survived the whole ordeal, as one doctor said, you have to bend a baby pretty far to get it to break.


Now if one of those babies had died, you would hear about it....Not the child's name or sex.........just it's death.

And you were have heard the outcry.

In the Mexico City quake a few years ago there were a newborns who were buried alive and rescued.....True miracle babies.


Here?

just babies that were saved.

The fact that preemie babies REQUIRE more attention that a regular newborn belies the fact that the staff at that facility were
true angels....

No interviews with heroes......

-------------------------------------------

And I heard about the huge woman who was complaining about the food....She would not eat the military meals because they were cold.

I do hope they show that some of the victims of Katrina are suffering.

And I do hope that they show the ungrateful victims also.

You will hear from the victims who will complain about the lack of---------.

But you won't see them thank god, the aid workers or the soldiers that pulled their FAT out of the fire.

For every person who is complaining about the lack of, there are 10 who made it thru and are just thankful.




LH,

There is a saying in the media,


If it doesn't bleed, It doesn't lead.


As in, people like blood, not saved babies.



--------------------------

The Rev Jesse Jackson showed up with 7 buses, no food or water...Just buses to move people around...

And he stayed well away from the crowds.....

A.H.!

[RICHARD]

Lt Gen Russel Honore just gave a press conference and gave no excuses, just reasons as to why it has taken so long to get aid to the stricken area.

This man is someone to watch.


He gave a very simple explanation, no technical BS and did, in 5 minutes, what all the politicians couldn't do over the last 5 days.

He was able to explain the logistics and the reasons why it took so long to get the ball rolling for these victims.


Again,

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone in uniform for their tireless efforts.



------------------------------------------


One more thing that has stuck in my craw in the political correctness that some people have begun to talk about....

Refugees.


Don't call the victims of Katrina, refugees.


One talk show host was outraged that the term be used for American citizens. You can have refugees all across the world-
but not in America.

It's that kind of attitude that makes me shake my head and wonder what the world thinks about us.

We have nothing to fear but fear itself-
And a bunch of politically correct idiots.

[sirrahbed]

I have to keep rotating channels of news to try and sift through the reports....today I have on Foxnews and it is report after report of positive things that are being done.

Try changing channels now and then?? It is hard to get through the political correctness to get to the truth. I keep hearing "Biblical proportions" and I have to agree... I am glad to hear people thanking God because some of us do thank Him every single day....even for bad things that happen.

This horrible tragedy....but God is still in control, especially when it is very hard to see anything good.

Maybe God is trying to get our attention? He has never left.

So yes, there are always positive things going on but we have to look harder for them because they don't increase the ratings to report. People will always be drawn to bad news...the same way many folks cannot turn away when passing an automobile wreck on the highway....horror is more intrigueing....or perhaps we look because we are so thankful that we are spared??

I am trying very hard to see the positive here....and I am far from a Pollyanna.....but the negative press reports are not how it is. Please keep switching the news channels....

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I've been watching Fox news mostly. They are showing rescues. Just now they pulled two men AND THEIR DOG! off a roof. I was so afraid they'd leave the dog there.

Earlier there was a family who were still in their house. They got them to come out and the family just left the dogs in the house.

Right now they are pulling a man off a roof that he is hanging on to.

[sirrahbed]

Originally posted by momoffuzzyfaces
Just now they pulled two men AND THEIR DOG! off a roof. I was so afraid they'd leave the dog there.

I just saw this - probably a repeat....but the first man goes in the basket and this little dog is running all around....then the last man gets into a basket and a rescuer leans down, picks up the little dog - maybe a doxie.. and hands him the dog I was so afraid to see the dog left but they sent him up too

[Karen]

We saw that one - it was actually a little chocolate-and-tan chihuahua! I kept thinking - "Okay, get the dog, c'mon, get the dog" and they did!

[sirrahbed]

Originally posted by Karen
We saw that one - it was actually a little chocolate-and-tan chihuahua! I kept thinking - "Okay, get the dog, c'mon, get the dog" and they did!

Me too Karen - I was talking to the TV As far as the dog....I got the "little" part right It was a cute little thing

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Now, this one has me confused: there has been an elderly lady talking to Fox news asking for help. She was in her home and said she had food and water but stayed for her elderly dog. They asked if she would leave if they got help to her and she said yes if she could bring her dog too.

Enter Geraldo to the rescue: lady saved - she had no food or water - no mention on if the dog was saved too.

However: HOW DID SHE CALL IN TO FOX NEWS SINCE SHE HAD NO PHONE SERVICE?

They were airing the conversations with her, sure sounded like she was talking to them on a phone to me.

[RICHARD]

Rusty the dog and the woman were saved by Geraldo,

I take back all the bad things I said about him.



_------------------------

Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour were on CNN
telling eveyone there was no phone service at all.

--------------------------------


THIS STORY aired on Friday night.

A man rode out the storm but his neighbors drowned.

The neighbor's body was left ourside in the yard.

There was another neighbor a few doors down who also survived.


They left the body in the yard...they then waited two days for the fire department to come and remove the body-

Their complaint?

They took too long to get there to remove the body...