In light of the current situation, I have never been more proud of my local media, in particular WJBO and WAFB, and never more embarassed, ashamed, astonished, add your own at the national media. The difference between the perspective of the two is utterly amazing.
James and I have spent the last several hours dividing our time between CNN and Fox and our local news stations. I also keep the radio on nearly all day during my work day and commute, which is mostly local, but there's been National updates throughout the day.
Tonight I watched Bill O'Reilly blame our Governor for nearly every aspect of this disaster. I'll give my thoughts on her later. I watched Geraldo Rivera nearly lose his mind at the carnage at the Convention Center. Shepard Smith was nearly apoplectic with rage about how the refugees on the interstate weren't getting out of there fast enough. It was enough to make you feel like everything was just going to blow at any second and everything was going to descend further into anarchy than it is.
Then we flipped over to the local news and there were stories about how fast people are getting evacuated out. 1,600 people per hour. We heard detailed stories about how everyone was getting rescued from Big Charity. We heard stories about doctor's letting their patients families stay at their own homes. Stories about parents being reunited with their children who they let go so they could get to safety first. Thank GOD, that this is what most of the people are getting. If you were that desperate and had lost everything, all you have is hope. That's all a lot of these people have. It makes me so angry that the national media seems to be acting like there isn't any.
As I was watching Geraldo and his insanity all I could think was that he was riling those people up. He was just freaking out saying that it was a powder keg and it was going to blow as soon as it got dark. Well you know what? I kept watching that fool until it got dark and I didn't see anything happening. He kept going on and on about how there were no police in the area, but that there were 2-3 that were "watching his back". That told me that he was the one that was occupying the officer's time. I don't want to go so far as to say he was intentionally trying to get those people so upset that they did start something, but I was really starting to get that feeling.
Ok, as for Governor Blaco, she's a Democrat, I'm a Republican. I voted for Jindal, and I really wish he would have won. That said, I feel like she's doing the best she can in the sitauation that we're in. I feel like she is being unfairly blamed for things that were way beyond her control. It really bothers me that the national media is calling her out and blaming so much of what happened on her. What about the Governors of Mississippi and Alabama? They had a heck of a lot longer notice than Louisiana did and hundreds of people died in those states. Billions of dollars of property was destroyed in those states. Blanco did what every other Governor does. She declared the State in a State of Emergency ahead of time. She called for evacuations. She begged people to evacuate. She pleaded. Nagin pleaded. They demanded for people to evacuate. People just wouldn't/couldn't do it. Why is that her fault? She couldn't drag those people out. I keep hearing all these so called experts saying what she should have done and didn't. Well, how do you know that she didn't? You're just speculating about what she did and didn't do and acting like it's fact. Until there is hard proof that Governor Blanco totally dropped the ball and really screwed it up, I'm going to go on the assumption that she did what was in the best interest of the state.
There's another aspect going on in the national media that's really making me angry. There are all these civil rights types that are making a huge race issue out of all of this. These people have got to be some of the most dangerous, non-productive, I can't even think of a word bad enough. I posted many of my feelings about this in my comment to Tracy's blog in her "I wanna go home" entry. Bringing race issues into an already volatile situation is unbelievably irresponsible.
That's all I gotta say about that.
4 comments:
Yeah, they are really upsetting me too.
Makes me wonder why THEY didn't bring Food, Water and BUSES to help out getting folks out of there.
Is the Rev. Jackson opening HIS HOME
to any of these displaced folks?
Tracy, I wasn't mad at you! I'm just mad in general at the media and all the Jesse Jackson types that sit around and preach about whitie keeping the black man down when we have many many larger issues at hand to deal with. All that kind of activity does is slow down the process. Can you imagine if those rescue workers all the sudden had to check and make sure the racial component of his pick up was ok before taking off?
I saw part of the Bill Reily and Geraldo thing on Fox news last night too. Even though all I'm getting is the national news, it still seemed like they were just being hysterical. Glad to hear that the local news is focusing more on the positive.
I am glad to hear that your local news is putting a positive outlook on whats happening there. I have gotten to the point where I don't even watch the news anymore. Jon flat out fusses at me for putting it on.
I am happy to hear about all the great charity organizations and the donations pooring into the region. My company is doing alot for the Hurricane Victims and I have been giving all I can.
Take care!
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