what happened to our national attitude of heroism?

[ima_sinnic]

remember after the OKC bombing (when CLINTON was in charge so there actually was a herculean and organized rescue effort), the whole country pulled together and pitched in, it was a national effort. same thing after 9/11. we were proud of our heroes and cheered on every rescue. the idea of leaving even ONE person behind was more than anyone could bear; people were digging through rubble with their bare hands as I remember, with urgency.

now it's as if possibly the worst natural disaster (actually, I don't think there has been anything worse, but my brain isn't functioning too well right now) in our history hardly even happened! we are NOT all cheering on the rescuers, because there are hardly any to cheer on and their work is hardly documented. the citizens, who traditionally have pitched in and worked selflessly and tirelessly, have been turned away! there are no cheers when someone is rescued after a perilous multi-day ordeal, no galvanizing stories of heroism and rescue, hardly any stories of the ordeals that people have been through. no flags at half-staff, no vigils, no prayer services.

my mind is absolutely boggled at the horror, the incomprehensibility of it all. the blatant, OUTRAGEOUS, MALICIOUS neglect. the country has come under the control of an alien cold-blooded race. it's not human.

[soothsayer]

1. When did rescuers start standing on the sidelines saying, Oh, it's

just too dangerous for us to do anything?

My first recollection is when that airplane went into the icy Potomac river in DC and the firemen and policemen all stood around on the shore watching people trapped underneath the ice, and a bystander dove in to save some people (and got in trouble for doing so).

[babylonsister]

2. BushCo managed to quash that, too; talk about

a reverse Midas touch. My country failed these victims, plain and simple, and the blame lies completely at this admin's feet.

[etherealtruth]

3. I am seeing vigils , prayer services ...

...massive attempts to raise funds ... I am seeing the citizens of the USA respond and respond quickly and on a grand scale ... IT'S the FEDERAL GOV'T and it's agencies that can't even seem to figure out where N.O. 9or the rest of the deep south, exception where Trent lott lives) is much less get help to it.

The Chimp didn't seem too interested in putting pressure on them to get help there ...

I see apolitical people outraged and demanding action and answers.

[MindPilot]

4. My girlfriend has moved in with me and offered her house

to a refugee family. I think that's pretty damn heroic.

[Frederik]

5. Something has happened

Something very ugly. Fox now reported that the New Orleans police are saying the reports of snipers were FALSE and that the rumors of violence in the Superdome mostly aren't true. WTF? Where did they come from? Who planted them? The media, with a few notable exceptions, have been doing their best to puhs the "armed gangs going on a rampage" and "looting elecronics and jewelries" stories. And they became excuses for the scandalous non-action.

The FAA also said no helicopter had been shot at. Yet this was reported as a fact by all the media.

And now, after the president's phot-op yesterday, it's seems like rescue efforts have stopped again, and people are quarantined in the convention center, not being allowed to leave. What is going on here?

[WI Independent]

9. It seems we need to add the media to the list...

of those responsible for this dismal failure.

There will always be rumors and exaggerations in situations like this. The media should NOT be broadcasting them as fact!!!

How many potential volunteers stayed away because they broadcast the false "shooting at helicoptors" stories???

[Lindsay]

6. There are heroes, but we're not hearing a lot about them.

There were doctors and nurses who gave up their own food and water to keep their patients alive.

On Tuesday CNN showed a man whose father had taken a boat to go out and rescue victimes of Camille. So this man took his son and his boat and was rescuing people, breaking through roofs with an ax.

The kid who liberated (a 60's term for commandeered) a bus and picked up people and drove them to Houston is a hero. So were the people with him, who pooled their money for food and water and diapers.

And there are probably a WHOLE lot of other people we'll never hear about.

The problem is at the top. Bush and all his abominable political hack appointees are doing nothing but showboating for the cameras, taking attention away from both the victims and the heroes.

[babylonsister]

7. The USCG are also heroes; many people

survived because of their efforts.

[Lindsay]

8. Right you are.

USCG were there early on.

(One of these days I'll get some sleep, and my brain will start working again.)

[babylonsister]

10. I think we're all overloaded, Lindsay;

too much pain and sadness to absorb, and we're just sitting on the sidelines. :-(