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Then and Now, Hurricane Katrina, The $85 Million Dollar Giveaway

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Then and Now, Hurricane Katrina, The $85 Million Dollar Giveaway

A few weeks ago the world found out that $85 million dollars worth of goods had been stored in warehouses for two years at a cost of more than 1 million dollars a year, and then given to 16 other states ignoring the need of the people of New Orleans and other states of which Hurricane Katrina devastated, this is simply unconscionable. Isn't that one of the worst things that you've heard, especially with all of the publicity that was focused on this disaster, how could something like that have gone overlooked?

This discovery is simply unacceptable. It is really a sad state of affairs when one can be so careless as to allow something like this to happen, and at such magnitude, it's almost unbelievable.

Perhaps if we all begin showing more anger in the treatment of human life, that is the treatment of African American People of Color, (AAPC) and other poor minorities, then perhaps that will somehow trigger a response that will come as a quake to this government. The poor, the AAPC still wait for fair treatment; those people in New Orleans still wait for fair treatment from a government that seems to have long ignored their existence.

Speaking of this government and the elections that are coming up in the fall for president of the United States of America, one most definitely had better chose a man with the integrity and hope, who has not been on the same agenda as the present demonic iconic figure in the white house.

One needs to look at many things and understand that this current administration is one that has lied and cheated the American people out of dreams because they wanted to rape still another country, and in the process of that rape have let the AAPC by the roadside as though waiting to hitch a ride. Unfortunately that ride didn’t come for the people in New Orleans and other hurricane ravaged areas of Katrina.

This administration continues pouring billions and billions of our tax dollars into a war that was not sanctioned by anyone except the one seated in the white house, his cohorts and all others who followed suit including John McCain. Only last week another 160 billion dollars plus was appropriated for this unsanctioned invasion and for the Afghanistan war. So think hard as you ponder about electing this man for that seat, think about what has already been taken away from the poor, you and your children, then think about how realistic it is to keep putting your money into an administration that continues to flush your hard earned money down the toilet, and then look again at the people in New Orleans still without and needing, and ask yourself how would you feel if this were you, your family, friends or relatives?

What sticks in my mind is how, with all of the publicity that’s been generated from the media, also from the extensive coverage given by Oprah Winfrey, how did something like this remain invisible until now?

This is what brings me to what I call then and now. Now perhaps the question that should be asked is how was such an act of irresponsible management allowed to go undetected until now; how can they be? To believe that they would allow something like that to happen to people in need, their own people, people of this country, whose grand and great grand parents were once incarcerated by this country, by slavery, and now they refused to help the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, how irresponsible, how devilish, and evil, how cruel can they be?

Almost three years, it’s then and now, but what’s the difference? After reading this on the Internet of how the victims of Katrina were, how should I say it, to put it bluntly they were screwed royally. All of a sudden it comes out, and it is said that not one million, not two or three million, not 10 million, but 85 million dollars worth of goods that were supposed to be for the victims of Hurricane Katrina went to other states, they said they sat in warehouses and that they didn’t know what to do with them, and all of a sudden they said let’s get rid of them, rather they said that they someone wanted to tear down these warehouses, and CNN said that they paid over one million dollars a year to store these items. While these people suffered and needed those things, it just sat there. What a disgrace, shame America, shame on you.

What keeps resounding in my mind is the 85 million dollars worth of goods being given to someone else other than the victims of hurricane Katrina. This magnitude of neglect, and this kind abuse just reinforces one thing that the American people have been saying lately, we don’t want, and we don’t need anyone of the previous thinking, rather that now thinking of the white house that John McCain is a part of, the Bush administration. We need Barack Obama; audacity of arrogance must become a thing of the past. Audacity of truth, of hope, of love and the audacity to heal each other must replace the audacity that is starving, that is suffocating, that is killing, that is murdering people here and abroad; we need the fresh and the brilliant change that Obama brings to the table, we need this enlightenment for with this we can all be fed.

Truth must prevail, yes the audacity of truth is upon us, it is the audacity of hope as Barack Obama puts it. So lets put America’s best foot forward with a brand new pair of shoes, shoes that aren’t too small, shoes that don’t hurt America’s feet, shoes that can be worn proudly and comfortably on a daily basis, and shoes that can be worn anywhere at any time.

Let us put an end to this audacity of arrogance, it has pervaded this country far too long; the stench is suffocating all of us, and has caused far too many people, men, women, babies to be killed. We must start empowering each other to empower the world in order to bring a healing to this nation and to this world, then and only then can we all begin to truly live. Amen

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One might say that writing has become my fondest passion; it is a love that always gives, and one that I feel comfortable sharing. I write because writing has become the voice in which I can speak to many people, share experiences, stories and (more...)
 
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