Am I Wrong?

[Scav]

Maybe I am being naive or just plain stupid, but I am watching some of this Katrina stuff on CNN and I want to ask one question?

if things are SO BAD there, why are people going back and why are they suffering so much. I mean, if they have a job, why not save enough to live for one month, rent a car and drive 1,000 miles north and find a town hiring, and establish.

I just think that if I were to go through something like that, I would just be like '**** it' and go establish my family somewhere safe and clean.

[Cajungator26]

For some people, N'awlins is home.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by Cajungator26

For some people, N'awlins is home.

That is crap. If your life is in danger or living is unbearable, you pack your family or yourself up and you find peace and quiet, and build a 'home'. It isn't like New Orleans is going anywhere, go back in 10 years if you want. You see these kids down there struggling only because their parents are too stubborn to pack up and leave. Just set up for problems down the road.

I will tell you this, if this would have happened to me, I would have been on the bus going to a big city, going to a police station to tell them the situation and see how I can get on my feet as soon as possible.

There's no place like home and that's especially true for New Orleans.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

You make it sound so simple. It's not. I understand what you are saying, but some people love where they are from and have pride in their area, no matter what has happened. If there is going to be a rebuilding of the area, they want to be there for it, because they have always been there.

So you would make your 3 young children suffer through all that, when you could simply drive north and provide a good life for them?

No thank you, if I ever had kids, I wouldn't want them living like that, and I would do EVERYTHING in my power to prevent it. Nor would I want to live like that.

Originally Posted by Scav

So you would make your 3 young children suffer through all that, when you could simply drive north and provide a good life for them?

No thank you, if I ever had kids, I wouldn't want them living like that, and I would do EVERYTHING in my power to prevent it. Nor would I want to live like that.

It's easy to say what you would do if you were in their situation but the truth of the matter is you have absolutely no idea what their situation is and what they're going through. A dramatic piece on cnn or fox news is not going to offer any insight whatsoever into the day to day lives of the people on the gulf coast and in N.O.

You can speculate and what I gather is that the majority of those affected by the hurricane were buttf ucked by p&c carriers like state farm, the government, the media, construction companies, etc. And from what I read in an article last night, the government is only alloting $5 billion of the $7.6 billion needed to rebuild the levees CORRECTLY and that the earliest they'll complete the project is 2015. To me, that is criminal that they're allowing people to rebuild when they can't even provide protection from another storm. It shows how inhumane our leaders are.

Moving doesn't solve the problem. Say if they move to a city like St. Louis and the New Madrid Fault goes nuts...they're f.ucked again.

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

To me, that is criminal that they're allowing people to rebuild when they can't even provide protection from another storm.

This was just waiting to happen.
So you build a city on a river delta,
pump enough water out from underneath so
that it sinks and is 13 feet BELOW sea level
(when you gotta bury people above ground
because the water table is right underneath
a warning signal should go off)
and then you come back in a build again.

If you live on a coastline anywhere in the Gulf, Southeast
Atlantic, you gotta know whats waiting. New Orleans will
have to pretend its a charming palm tree waiting for its
big leaves to get torn off, grow back, get torn off...

The storm surge was not even that bad. They had a heck
of a lot of rain, but put a 20 foot storm surge with that...
levees wont help a bit.

Buy stock in a company that makes body bags.

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Where is the money coming from to provide this good life? Again, you are making it sound real easy and are being very naive. The people that are still there have nothing for the most part. You can't just move north. It's not that simple.

Exactly, I imagine many people are not making enough in a month to be putting anything away for a move. Most 'experts' say you should have at least 3 mos. worth of living saved before moving across country or out of state.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Where is the money coming from to provide this good life? Again, you are making it sound real easy and are being very naive. The people that are still there have nothing for the most part. You can't just move north. It's not that simple.

The pioneers did it. They went West with a horse and a carriage. You can get a $25 bus ride from New Orleans to Carbondale, IL, and have a job in three days, and have a $300 livable 2 bed room apartment (per month) in a day.

Originally Posted by Pillow Pants

It's easy to say what you would do if you were in their situation but the truth of the matter is you have absolutely no idea what their situation is and what they're going through. A dramatic piece on cnn or fox news is not going to offer any insight whatsoever into the day to day lives of the people on the gulf coast and in N.O.

You can speculate and what I gather is that the majority of those affected by the hurricane were buttf ucked by p&c carriers like state farm, the government, the media, construction companies, etc. And from what I read in an article last night, the government is only alloting $5 billion of the $7.6 billion needed to rebuild the levees CORRECTLY and that the earliest they'll complete the project is 2015. To me, that is criminal that they're allowing people to rebuild when they can't even provide protection from another storm. It shows how inhumane our leaders are.

Moving doesn't solve the problem. Say if they move to a city like St. Louis and the New Madrid Fault goes nuts...they're f.ucked again.

Pillow, I agree. What these insurance companies and the government, on all levels, has done is extremely inhumane. And I also agree that I really don't know the situation. But I would like to think i would make the best decision for my family and myself. One that would get them away from the destruction and all the bs.

[Scav]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Come on man. The pioneers?

Say I am a resident of New Orleans with a wife and 3 kids. I had little to NO money before Katrina, and now I have even less. So you want me to just get a bus ticket to Illinois, somehow get my family up there as well. And I'll just have a job in 3 days. Where? McDonalds? I'm sure that'll help. And I can get an apartment, probably in a sweet neighborhood for $300 a month in a day? I know you are not this naive.

Moving doesn't solve your problems. It puts a band-aid on them. Sooner or later the problems you had will come back. Whether it's in New Orleans, Illinois or Mars.

In college, I had a two bedroom apartment for $400, it was clean and in a good area. Easily big enough for 3 kids and a wife, maybe a little uncomfortable, but none more then the crap they are dealing with now.

You go into these small towns and you will get a job, doing something, right away. I don't think this is naive.

Sure it would take alot of balls to leave 'what you know' but again, why make these kids or yourself for that matter suffer through this, when 200 miles north is a solution?

[Samarta]

If the question is still "am I wrong?" the answer is yes. At this point it's not about a better life it's about home and principal. The people and the city of New Orleans were totally forgotten about and they want their life back. Not some imitation in a place where they have no interest in being. It's an absolute disgrace that this went on in our country and they deserve to get their lives back. The lives they lost when Katrina hit. I totally understand your point with the relocation dollars, rent, etc...but it's not about that. It's about New Orleans. It's about pride, and it's about the right thing to do.

[2Hot4TV]

People are creatures of habit and they may even hate thier daily life, but they choose to go back to it because they know what to expect from it.

[hockey2315]

Maybe they can all go be hotwalkers at Belmont. . .

[Cajungator26]

Originally Posted by hockey2315

Maybe they can all go be hotwalkers at Belmont. . .

Good heavens... lol.

Originally Posted by hockey2315

Maybe they can all go be hotwalkers at Belmont. . .

[fpsoxfan]

Maybe I should just keep my mouth shut on this one. But like Scavs, this one hits a nerve with me too. #1. Moving for a lot of these people might require effort. That's a lot to ask. These are the same people who were warned to get out of dodge before the storm hit and didn't. Like I've said before, if you would of told some of these people that if they were to head 100 miles north, there would be a box full of $100 bills and a keg of beer they would have been sprinting out of New Orleans. #2. They are just biatching, but the bottom line is, they are getting a HUD apartment and monthly welfare check. That's why they don't want to leave. There are a few down there I feel sorry for. The elderly, The disabled, etc. Being FAT and LAZY is not a disability. That's why we need illegal immigrants to do the dirty jobs.

[fpsoxfan]

Originally Posted by Samarta

If the question is still "am I wrong?" the answer is yes. At this point it's not about a better life it's about home and principal. The people and the city of New Orleans were totally forgotten about and they want their life back. Not some imitation in a place where they have no interest in being. It's an absolute disgrace that this went on in our country and they deserve to get their lives back. The lives they lost when Katrina hit. I totally understand your point with the relocation dollars, rent, etc...but it's not about that. It's about New Orleans. It's about pride, and it's about the right thing to do.

I live in the middle of Upstate, NY. Upstate received a record amount of Lake Effect snowfall duiring a four day period this past winter. I'm not going to equate this to what happened in New Orleans, but let me tell you something....It was bad. People were without power, utilities, and couldn't get to the store. Why? NO roads. Have you seen the pictures?? It was REAL BAD. Did they complain?? No. WHY? These people are not lazy. They look out for one another. Was there looting? None. Why? They wouldn't. You take these same people from New Orleans and put them in this environment. It would be just like the flood. Now, as I said before, I feel bad for the elderly and the disabled, but being fat and lazy is not a disability.

[SentToStud]

Originally Posted by fpsoxfan

I live in the middle of Upstate, NY. Upstate received a record amount of Lake Effect snowfall duiring a four day period this past winter. I'm not going to equate this to what happened in New Orleans, but let me tell you something....It was bad. People were without power, utilities, and couldn't get to the store. Why? NO roads. Have you seen the pictures?? It was REAL BAD. Did they complain?? No. WHY? These people are not lazy. They look out for one another. Was there looting? None. Why? They wouldn't. You take these same people from New Orleans and put them in this environment. It would be just like the flood. Now, as I said before, I feel bad for the elderly and the disabled, but being fat and lazy is not a disability.

Being snowed in, cooking on a grill and keeping warm by the fireplace is not exactly the same thing as taking your last breath in the attic as you drown with your face against the rafters. I'm sure 99% of the people in N.O. would have gladly burned a couple pieces of furniture in lieu of drowning to death. It's not the same. It's not close.

[fpsoxfan]

Originally Posted by DaHoss9698

Apples and oranges and you know it.

I am not excusing not leaving when they had the chance. It was stupid, you are right. But you like where you live right? Would you want to move from your home, where you have lived forever? I don't think so.

It's not exactly apples and oranges Hoss. It was real bad in the snow belt region. Nobody sat and waited for help, they got through it without many complaints. No, I don't want to leave my home, but I don't live below sea level either. I know you're not far from me, so you know about the floods we had here last here. The mighty Mohawk took over half our town. Not even 1/1000 on the scale of New Orleans, but we (I'm in the fire department)evacuated people quickly. The stubborn ones that stayed had to be taken out by boat or front loader later. It all comes down to choices. Some people in New Orleans made bad choices.

[fpsoxfan]

Originally Posted by SentToStud

Being snowed in, cooking on a grill and keeping warm by the fireplace is not exactly the same thing as taking your last breath in the attic as you drown with your face against the rafters. I'm sure 99% of the people in N.O. would have gladly burned a couple pieces of furniture in lieu of drowning to death. It's not the same. It's not close.

Oh C'mon. Are you that naive to think it was easy as that. Hello? The liberal media just panders to people like you. I'm not completely insensitive, but much of what happened in New Orleans was avoidable. CHOICES!!
Good Choices, Good Consequenses. Bad Choices, Bad Consequenses.