A SERIOUS POST

OK. I can't get past it. So I'm going to vent a little. This is totally mine (Cie's). It is NOT Cathy's, or anybody else's opinion and nobody else should be held accountable for it.

There are heroes everywhere. I am so proud of each and every person who has volunteered a boat to go looking for survivors, to the crews struggling to save patients at hospitals or shelters, the drivers ferrying terrified residents out of the chaos, the rescue crews and their dogs, searching for survivors.

BUT

1) WHY THE HELL wasn't there a better evacuation plan in place for emergencies?
2) WHY IN THE *HELL* are some of these people shooting at the people trying to save them so that it's difficult if not impossible for the rescuers to DO THEIR WORK?
3) HOW IN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN!!!!
4) TRYING to LOOT *****HOSPITALS***** (insert swearing). That is SOOOO low I can't even express it.

I can understand being frightened. I can understand keeping a gun with you for self-defense as you make your way to the evacuation points. I can't SEE gangs and violence and looting just for the sake of chaos.

I hope that our government learns from this.

I hope that things like the bases they were closing can be converted into long-term housing -- because, like it or not, this is going to be a long term problem. Some of the pollution issues could even be permanent.

It breaks my heart, truly, that the poorest, most ill and helpless are the ones suffering the most from this. I hope we can all pull together doing what we can, to help others in the spirit that "there but for the Grace of God, go I." I hope it. I pray for it. And I do see some of it. Truly. But seeing the other... it both makes me angry and fills me with despair.

Where is the unity our country showed after 9-11?

Hell, where is the ORGANIZATION we're supposed to have in place thanks to 9-11 and the huge allocation of resources to "security?"

I am not a political creature. I don't understand how we could NOT have been more ready for a disaster.

I hope and pray that every single person will do what they can. I truly do.