Bell Curve The Law Talking Guy Raised by Republicans U.S. West
Well, he's kind of had it in for me ever since I accidentally ran over his dog. Actually, replace "accidentally" with "repeatedly," and replace "dog" with "son."

Friday, September 16, 2005

They Need Homes, not Homilies

There was much to admire in Bush's speech last night. He acknowledged racism and slavery as the roots of poverty in the gulf area (a no-brainer, but still an accomplishment for any Republican); he accepted responsibility for the failures of the Federal government (again, a no brainer, but an accomplishment for Bush); and he laid out an extensive program of rebuilding that sounds FDR-esque in its scope (though as always, the devil will be in the details). Frankly, it was the only one of Bush's speeches in the last three years that I could bear to listen to all the way to its conclusion. I particularly liked the "Urban Homestead" act--giving families free parcels of land to build on by lottery out of federal lands in the area (though I am skeptical of just how much federal property there is to dole out in New Orleans.)

But I must say, today's National Day of Prayer and Rememberance really is cynical. After 9/11, Bush held such an event just three days later (Friday 9/14) and at that time, with the nation still reeling, still searching for lost ones in the rubble, it was appropriate. But to hold such an event two and a half weeks after the hurricane struck is pure political theater. As a nation we are now thinking hopefully of rebuilding and asking tough questions. For Bush speak to us now as though we were still mired in grief--to belatedly offer us the sympathy and leadership he failed to give when it was truly needed--is nothing short of grotesque.

As RxR has said, Bush seems to think he can just start the whole process over again to try to have a better run at it. But the time has passed. Bush's homily from the pulpit is too little, too late.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The troops should have been moving to New Orleans Monday night, and all day Tuesday after the hurricane, and by Wednesday instead of seeing pix of desperate people huddled at the Superdome amid rising floodwaters, the President should have been on TV addressing the nation about mobilizing for a larger-scale response. Then AFTER THE DEAD ARE FOUND, there is time for a national day of prayer and humility (i.e., next month). 

// posted by LTG

Anonymous said...

But the White House plan was to ban reporters from New Orleans during the recovery of bodies while declaring loudly that the Mayor's dire predictions of thousands of dead would be far off the mark. But with no press around how are we to see who is right?

By the way, I was recently visiting relatives in Nebraska where I heard that Native Americans there have been unable to contact Choctaw communities in the bayous of Lousiana. It could be that the worst catostrophe occured in these poor communities. But since they aren't in the city and the local politics places them even lower on the status ladder than African American poor folks, no one is even asking, "Hey have we heard from the Choctaw lately?"

A friend of mine (who I hope reads this blog from time to time) is Homa - a related people to the Choctaw. I hope his family is OK and he will share any information he has about what is going on with the Choctaw, Homa and other communities in the Lousiana area. 

// posted by Raised By Republicans

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