ensure the safety of victims of hurricane katrina

Today I walked down the dirty streets of my hometown at the pace of one owned by the clock or the man or the metronome of the living...

two navy helicopter pilots and their crews returned from new orleans expecting to be greeted as lifesavers after ferrying more than 100 hurricane victims to safety. instead, their superiors chided the pilots, lt. david shand and lt. matt udkow, at a meeting the next morning for rescuing civilians when their assignment that day had been to deliver food and water to military installations along the gulf coast. it will the last time they will ever do someone a favour. Amnesty International expressed deep concern over reports that victims of the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas were left for days in increasingly desperate and unsafe circumstances.

The organization called on authorities to urgently deploy adequate resources to ensure that all those now evacuted or who remain in need in the affected areas are protected from attacks and are provided with food, water, adequate shelter and appropriate medical care.

Noting that many victims were rendered especially vulnerable to the impact of the disaster due to prevailing conditions of poverty, Amnesty International further called for a full, independent inquiry into whether authorities could have done more to ensure the safety of the affected population, and what should be done to facilitate their recovery.

In addition to the authorities’ failure to ensure that basic human rights such as adequate shelter, water, food and medical attention were provided to the degree and speed required in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the organization noted with concern reports that thousands left trapped in a convention center and other locations were preyed on by armed gangs, and risked being shot, knifed or raped.

the place where the dead are left lying on the makeshift streets of vera smith. she was an ordinary woman who, like thousands of her neighbours, died because she was poor. abandoned to her fate as the waters rose around her, veras tragedy symbolises the great divide in America today. however vera smith may have lived her life, one thing was certain. in death, she had no dignity. killed in the chaotic aftermath of hurricane katrina, her body lay under a tarpaulin at the junction of magazine street and jackson avenue for five full days. not her friends, her grieving husband, not her neighbours could persuade the authorities to take her corpse away. finally, disgusted by the way she had been abandoned - and concerned, too, about the health implications of advancing decomposition - her friends buried her in a makeshift grave. A local man fashioned a simple cross, and on top of the soil that was shovelled over her body he placed a white plastic sheet and wrote 'here lies vera. god help us.

The government's duty to protect includes securing the city and surrounding areas, as well as bringing the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. However, Amnesty International is concerned that a "shoot-to-kill" policy authorized by Louisiana’s governor and reportedly implemented by security forces could lead to a disproportionate and unlawful use of lethal force. This may apply, for example, in the case of unarmed individuals described as "looters", some of whom may be trying to seek supplies to survive in the absence of aid.

Amnesty International urged that police firearms be deployed only in response to an immediate threat of death or serious injury that cannot be contained by lesser means, as required by international standards. All shootings must be rigorously and impartially investigated, with the results made public.

Authorities should also ensure that all those in custody, including the thousands of prisoners reported to have been evacuated to other locations, have access to their families and attorneys at the earliest opportunity.

The organization expressed its deepest sympathy for the victims of the tragedy and support for survivors, relief workers and others working to provide relief, health care and other aid."
(From Amnesty.org)

Now begs your the following questions. Is this sorry excuse for an administration act in the best interests of the people they're supposed to represent and launch an inquiry into the debacle that was the response, or 'stay on course' and continue to display utter contempt for just about everyone outside of their tight-knit circle?

As we all know, the government will do what the government will do. Responsibility and accountability has been slim to non-existent up until now so that won't change here. Hell, lets not forget that the response by the FED Government was described as exceptional by some higher ups.

the us government agency leading the rescue efforts after hurricane katrina said on tuesday it does not want the news media to take photographs of the dead as they are recovered from the flooded new orleans area. the federal emergency management agency, heavily criticized for its slow response to the devastation caused by the hurricane, rejected requests from journalists to accompany rescue boats as they went out to search for storm victims.

It is us in the 'public' that must make the demand for the inquiry as to 'Why'. The responsibility lies on the people to take an irresponsible leadership to bat, and not leave until they are satisfied. Here's an excerpt from a recent article:

A CNN/USA Gallup poll released Wednesday suggests that Bush's response to the crisis was rated "bad" or "terrible" by 42 per cent of Americans surveyed. That is in comparison to 35 per cent who said it was "good" or "great".

Except for the attacks on the Welfare State, some may have sympathy for his perspective. He may have been right in classifying two kinds of disasters - a natural disaster, and a man-made disaster. But of course, there was a third, Administration-made disaster. You may also find that all of that 35% have white hoods in their closet and large bank accounts. All one can say is what the hell?

And without further ado, I would like to present the following article An Unnatural Disaster: A Hurricane Exposes... by Robert Tracinski. It should help answer most of your wonderous questions. So this is what it feels like... when doves cry.