Letter: Hopelessness spawned panic

Friday, Sept. 9, 2005 | 10:02 a.m.

It is painfully clear how unprepared our country is for a disaster such as Hurricane Katrina. Although President Bush has admitted dissatisfaction with the results of the relief effort, his administration bears the responsibility for much of the excess suffering endured by the residents of the affected areas. Again, the people he has chosen for top posts in his administration have failed in their responsibilities.

Our government did not attempt to establish control of the area, nor did it provide any hope for the homeless and destitute hurricane victims until four days after the storm. Imagine, four days without food, water and sanitation systems. Why wasn't the National Guard brought in the day after the storm to establish control? Why weren't buses brought in from everywhere to take these people out of the affected areas? Why weren't makeshift tent cities being constructed outside the area to house these people from day one after the storm?

Like Iraq, where the lack of preparedness by our government led to anarchy by the Iraqi citizens, the administration failed to realize that starvation and corpses in the streets would lead to hopelessness and panic. How can this happen in our country?

A week from now the president, the vice president and the White House press secretary will be telling us what a great job they did responding to the disaster, while the Republican political machine will be working diligently to discredit critics of the administration's poor response to the storm. Business as usual. Wake up, America!

PHIL VENTURA