Did FEMA do all it could to save Black and Poor lives in New Orleans?

Question

Katrina, is the unspoken shame of America. Thousands of poor and black lives lost. Did the Federal Government know that the people of New Orleans were in peril and did nothing.?

the_all_know..., Not just you, but please note I said, The Poor. That would include white, mexicans, chinese and any other race you would want to consider. Blacks were the ones predominantly affected to a scale of 50 to 1.

Answer 1

Uncle Sam's little secret.

Who cares they were just a bunch of Ni**ers

But if a brother says something he is a trouble maker.

Go big Red Go

Answer 2

OK, FEMA absolutely did not do its job and did not do enough to save people's lives after Katrina. No one's going to argue with you there. I mean, they really screwed up.

However, I take exception to you making this into a "they didn't help black people" thing. (And I know you also said poor, but if you meant poor of all races you would have said poor, you said "black and poor") First of all, black, white, Asian, Hispanic and whatever else classification of person there is died in and after Katrina. It was a natural disaster, not genocide. Secondly, The mayor of New Orleans, a black man, also screwed up, and it killed people. He didn't issue a mandatory evacuation notice until 20 hours before the storm hit, even though he knew it takes 48 hours for everyone to get out. He didn't use the buses and vans that the city had for evacuation, so that people who were too poor to have a car were trapped in the city. It wasn't just a white federal government screwing black people, it was all levels of government run by all kinds of people screwing over anyone in that area of the country.

So, the local government of New Orleans, the government of the state of Louisiana, and the federal government all failed these people, whether they were black or white or rich or poor if they were stuck in or on top of their homes or in a "shelter" they were all failed.

Answer 3

Well the subject about black people is rather misinterpreted. It's extrememly common for them to live in populated cities throughout the country, including cities that lie on the coast.

White people - white, caucasian, whatever your terminology is for them - were also affected. Thousands of white familes were affected by the Hurricane along with black families and people. They all suffered the same in terms of percentage, but the only thing was that white people fled the city.

The government told the citizens of New Orleans to pack up as much as they could into one carload and evacuate the city immediately. Those who did not evacuate were left to suffer the immediate impact of the aftermath and were basically (whether they liked it or not) the first ones to deal with the situation. I know that on TV they showed a lot of black people and familes, but that's because they didn't evacuate. Some white people were left behind but most of them evacuated but had to wait in massive traffic jams that went all along the routes that lead out of the city (which I believe there were only 3 of at the time besides the airport and trains).

Why some people - especially a large percentage of the black population - didn't leave New Orleans is beyond me and many disaster experts both associated with FEMA, the Red Cross and other organizations that provided relief for those who stayed behind.

But now I'm rather confused about your terminology, "the unspoken shame of America." I'm not so sure why you said this but I could tell you I would use it to reference the stubborness of people who did not evacuate. The one most important rule we've learned in all the aftermath was that you should ALWAYS adhere to all government, NOAA and NWS warnings and evacuation orders especially in cities like New Orleans, Seattle, NYC, San Fransisco, Oakland, San Diego, Miami, Key West, Galveston TX, Boston and many more cities and towns that lie on the ocean. It also does not take a designated hurricane to make evacuations necessary although one with a hurricanes' force is almost always required since they can hit while hurricanes are not in season (although rare.

Now I don't know what you heard in the weeks following Katrina, but I remember only hearing that the death toll was only in the hundreds, not thousands. Certainly thousands of people had to be evacuated but I believe the death toll was only around 350 or so, almost a tenth the amount of casualties of 9/11.

The federal government knew the city was at risk for something like it, but their reaction to this was very mixed. They did warn residents and they did provide emergency relief afterwards, but they did little to stop the effects. The Levees were almost popped like water balloons at a young child's birthday party and all they put down to stop the incoming water were sand bags. Not only have I yet to see those levees repaired but I have also not heard about if even the sand bags have been taken out yet. News of such events to help New Orleans and the surronding area has been widely evaded by current media, they seem to dwell on pain and loss these days sadly.

Answer 4

Forget what happened during and immediately after Katrina. The fact of the matter is that Americans are very poor at organising anything that the recipients are not being expected to pay for! This is why 30 million poor Americans have no medical cover and some, therefore, die from treatable illnesses.

If further proof is required it is that, irrespective of what happened in the immediate aftermath, there is still not a coherent Authority (local, state or federal) led plan to put things to rights and New Orleans is still a disaster area in too many places as recent reports have shown.

Answer 5

Look here it is. It is not FEMA's responsibility to get people to safety if there is an approaching storm. they come in after-wards to help pick up the pieces. it is the local and state governments job to give people adequate notice to leave or evacuate. If you choose not to heed those warnings your fate falls on you no mater your race. I agree Katrina was horrible and sure help was slow coming after words. But being someone who lives and grew up in South Florida I have personally been through about 6 or 7 hurricanes, 3 of the worst Frances,Gene, and Wilma in just the past 2 years and when your told that a category 4 or 5 even a strong 3 is coming your way you get the f##k out of town because ultimately the lives of you and your family rest on your shoulders weather your told to leave or not. I feel terrible for what happened to so many in the gulf coast (Andrew was one of my hurricanes) but I do not have pity on those that did not head the warnings.

Answer 6

You are right about one thing it is an unspoken shame of America. But the real shame of it (and the completely unspoken part I refer too) is how pathetic these American's were. This is supposed to be the country of the 'can do' spirit where free people can do great things. And all we saw was a bunch of government handout losers sitting around waiting for more handouts.

What this was, and you will never hear the media speak of it, was a perfect example of how dangerous liberalism has become. It is a failed system, it rewards failure and punishes success, it breeds generations of hopelessness and misery.

As the last decent Democrat said... "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do, for your country" but at least for God sakes do something for yourselves.

Answer 7

I wish it were that simple. it isn't. I do know that my friend went to get gas to leave and got a full tank. When her neighbors who were black were turned away 15Min's before. So my friend evacuated both families and had 8 people and 3 dogs in her minivan when they evacuated. And the Texas State police gave her a ticket for having too many people in the car. I think those were the action of people not the government. I think the government problem is as in many things they did to little too late, with far too much paperwork. The only true cure to to fixing both these problems is education.

Answer 8

the mayor did a Shir_ job by not evacuating people sooner. and the dumbs got reelected again..by the way it wasn't anywere near 1000's of live's lost. and some people chose to stay there to loot the stores, and when help was sent there, gang-bangers were shooting at helicopters and ambulances. it's not the unspoken shame, same thing happened in other states down south and they were civil and now there fine. it's more a racial thing we have here in the states, kanye west on live TV said "George bush hates black people" you can't blame the government for your stupid actions, there was a 2 day warning that katrina was on her way. blame yourself for being stupid and sticking around. ok I'm done....

Answer 9

Quit blaming a Federal agency for the failure of the local and state government. Louisiana politics is so corrupt, along with it's law enforcement, that they did not want any federal agency stepping foot in there lest they be discovered. FEMA was there ahead of the storm, offering assistance. But the arrogant politicians in the poorest state in the nation thought they had it all under control.

Answer 10

Last I checked the federal government did do something, btw, blacks were not the only ones that suffered in that tragedy, New Orleans was nothing compared to the coast of Mississippi, call out to those poor souls

Answer 11

You are 110% right! What happened or should I say, what DIDN'T happen in New Orleans was disturbing.
It was a blatent act of racism on the part of the Bush administration. Have you seen the recording of Bush laughing about it before Katrina hit?
Have you heard Barbara Bush's comments about the people of N.O.?
It was a collosal disgrace and one of the worst failures in recent history. Bush should be impeached for this alone.
Republican senators cut funding that was meant to rebuild the levees in 2003.

Still not convinced? Well, read these comments from Bush himself adn other repubs:

"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." –President Bush, on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina (Source)

"What I'm hearing which is sort of scary is that they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway so this (chuckle) – this is working very well for them." –Former First Lady Barbara Bush, on the hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 5, 2005


The good news is — and it's hard for some to see it now — that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house — he's lost his entire house — there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) —President Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005

"Considering the dire circumstances that we have in New Orleans, virtually a city that has been destroyed, things are going relatively well." –FEMA Director Michael Brown, Sept. 1, 2005

"Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." –President Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, while touring hurricane-ravaged Mississippi, Sept. 2, 2005

"Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?" –House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX), to three young hurricane evacuees from New Orleans at the Astrodome in Houston, Sept. 9, 2005

"What didn't go right?'" –President Bush, as quoted by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), after she urged him to fire FEMA Director Michael Brown "because of all that went wrong, of all that didn't go right" in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort


Is that enough for ya?

George Bush, It's Beer Horray Beer!