Thursday, September 15, 2005
Sleeping through Katrina
How do they sleep at night? How do any of us? I didn't, not that much anyhow those first few days. It seemed I shouldn't, couldn't when all that suffering was happening. I was in DC with my hubby and the boys. I was working and they were having a vacation, and as I stood all day at the American Political Science Association meeting, I thought of little else. But I did nothing.
I so wrongly assumed that there would be people whose job it was to take care of people. There would be those who knew how to help all those people.
I thought that's what this presidency was all about. I assumed that if nothing else, Bush would be able to mobilize people. I really thought they'd wargamed catastrophe. I was wrong. And so as New Orleans exploded, and I watched the naked desperation all over TV and handed out text books, I felt guilty.
Realistically there is nothing I could have done, short of money. My husband and I would have driven down there, but we have two small children and we can't put them in jeopardy.
I'd send things, but to whom? where?
And they had warning. It's not like it could easily be for us in New York, like 9/11... Sudden and shocking. I stayed awake and watched the faultless luting and the picking up of people through attics.
We talked about taking in animals, my husband and me, but again we have two small children and two highly neurotic animals, so I could nothing but feel bad.
That's me. I'm sleeping again now, but George Bush and Mr. Chertoff never should again.
I so wrongly assumed that there would be people whose job it was to take care of people. There would be those who knew how to help all those people.
I thought that's what this presidency was all about. I assumed that if nothing else, Bush would be able to mobilize people. I really thought they'd wargamed catastrophe. I was wrong. And so as New Orleans exploded, and I watched the naked desperation all over TV and handed out text books, I felt guilty.
Realistically there is nothing I could have done, short of money. My husband and I would have driven down there, but we have two small children and we can't put them in jeopardy.
I'd send things, but to whom? where?
And they had warning. It's not like it could easily be for us in New York, like 9/11... Sudden and shocking. I stayed awake and watched the faultless luting and the picking up of people through attics.
We talked about taking in animals, my husband and me, but again we have two small children and two highly neurotic animals, so I could nothing but feel bad.
That's me. I'm sleeping again now, but George Bush and Mr. Chertoff never should again.
