I honestly don’t what to say. I’m shocked, heartbroken, depressed, outraged, and just plain depleted. And as bad as I feel, I’m dry, my house is still standing, my city is still functioning.
I feel the same sense of helplessness I felt on September 11th, 12th, 13th, 2001. Once again the damage is so staggering it is hard to imagine ever being able to clean it up.
I don’t know what is going to happen, what is going to change. Back in 2001 the one redeeming factor was the outpouring of support for New Yorkers. As someone who grew up in the New York media market I always felt the derision and hostility that much of the country had for New York. It was amazing to see people put aside their their prejudices and express their support. It was comforting to know that the Great America ‘out there’ was getting an education about the toughness and resiliency of New Yorkers.
This time, there is no coming together. There is no sense of national unity. The only education America is getting is about the deep social inequality and political incompetence of New Orleans. We’re getting an education on the incompetence and indifference of the Bush administration. We don’t see a resilient city. We see a city in ruins with all sense of social order broken down.
Bush plays guitar and talks about rebuilding Trent Lott’s house. Condi Rice attends the theater and shops for shoes. Dennis Hastert goes to fundraisers and talks about abandoning New Orleans to its cruel fate.
I’ve been saying the Bush administration was cruel and venal for years. Will this catastrophe finally convince enough Americans of the truth of this observation? I have to believe it will. I can’t face the implications for our country if it doesn’t.
