[StBernard] New Orleans Went Under--A Black Man's Comments (JNH)

[Westley Annis]

Jer,

   SInce Katrina, I have taken every decision with that mentality, expect
the worse and if it doesn't happen I can live with whatever.

Wendy H


-----Original Message-----
This all boils down to strong, effective leadership, not only in the black
community of New Orleans, but in the white community of St. Bernard Parish.

Children of the parishes are just that: they need leaders to show them what
they need and must do.

In the case of New Orleans, it boiled down to bad leadership. Mr. Nagin ran
his parish like a Cox Cable executive and NOT a governmental leader. The
results of his bad leadership is obvious and a matter of fact and history.

It's quite easy for blacks to blame whites when in a predicament--much of
what was caused by both bad leadership there and personal decisions by
residents. Like St. Bernard Parish, many in New Orleans chose to "ride out"
the storm, as a result previously of the "Chicken Little Syndrome" of
"getting out of Dodge" by a gunfighter (Katrina) only to have the gunfighter
go to sleep. Nothing happens and much effort is wasted.

No one expected what happened to the levees breaching. Getting caught with
one's pants down--so to say, is embarrassing and hurting enough as to place
the blame game everywhere but with the responsibility of each individual.

Whether a mandatory evacuation was called or not, the handwriting on the
wall prior to Katrina's landfall said it all. It was a bad storm and no one
is immune from its effect, minimal or maximum damage forthcoming.

In all, everyone dropped the ball here. Some more than others, but everyone
did. Whether in hindsight, each evacuee forgot to bring extras or
necessities, leadership, boarding school buses in lieu of Greyhounds,
calling officials, communications needed, evacuating, enough insurance, or
whatever--the end result is clear:

We never knew what hit us.

So, in preparation for the next grave event. Be a Boy/Girl Scout and plan
for the worse, and expect the worse.

--jer--