Amid the horror a bit of introspection. "Yet, when the smoke of recrimination begins to clear, I strongly suspect that fair-minded people will conclude that race had nothing to do with what transpired, at least not in any explicit sense. It is a simple fact that in the Deep South those who are poor are especially likely to be black. It is also true--and America can take no pride in this--that the poor almost inevitably get the worst of any deal. Whether it is lack of access to health care, to a secure old age, to a decent education, or to the means to flee a doomed city, the poor routinely reap the harvest of official neglect. And that harvest is inevitably bitter--albeit rarely as bitter as in New Orleans, where possibly thousands died horrible deaths. So it is understandable that many people, particularly those who see themselves as champions of the dispossessed, are in a rage about the White House response...
It has become obvious in retrospect that it may not be the best idea to attack a nation because we have a vague suspicion that at some point in the future that nation may have the ability and the will to do us harm. What is also becoming clear, however, is that unless we can figure out a way to deal with predictable disasters, manmade or natural, before they bite us in the neck, we will forever be figuring out how to correct bad decisions that never should have been made in the first place. Many, no doubt, will seize the shortsightedness on Louisiana to talk about everything from global warming to budgeting priorities. And that is as it should be. For while no one expects our political leaders to be prophets, we also shouldn't expect them to be deaf and blind. And it may finally-tragically--be that we have a crisis large enough to make us question why we have been so eager to reward those whose primary skill has been their refusal to hear alarms sounding all around." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9188642/site/newsweek/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/Y2tolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AsburyPark/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
