Friday, Sept. 9, 2005 | 5:43 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
Sept. 10-11, 2005
By now the vital contribution of the Gulf Coast at the Mississippi Delta to the economic health of our country is obvious. Less obvious but equally important is the fact that the environmental degradation produced by that economic activity and spread by the storm, is now so vast that the entire region should be declared a Superfund site.
What will happen when the contaminated water in New Orleans drains back into Lake Pontchartrain? What will happen if we do not restore the marshland which, a hundred years ago, was the first line of defense against storm surges? What will happen if we rebuild homes and businesses on contaminated land? Will Cancer Alley become Cancer City? What will happen if we focus on blame rather than reconstruction?
By lowering taxes for the wealthy and raising deficit spending we have diminished our ability to respond to monumental disasters. By focusing on our own gain and ignoring the plight of others we have lost the humanitarian basis of our religion.
By refusing to set long-term goals that address the ills of our society we are imperiling our democracy.
MARY DALE DEACON
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