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28 Aug 2005

To continue on this theme, I see now this quote on CNN:

“So, we’re looking at a bowl full of highly contaminated water with contaminated air flowing around and, literally, very few places for anybody to go where they’ll be safe.”

He went further.

“So, imagine you’re the poor person who decides not to evacuate: Your house will disintegrate around you. The best you’ll be able to do is hang on to a light pole, and while you’re hanging on, the fire ants from all the mounds – of which there is two per yard on average – will clamber up that same pole. And, eventually, the fire ants will win.”

Sorry, dude, I am having trouble imagining that I am a poor person FUCKING DECIDING not to evacuate. What I can imagine, though, is not having a choice either way. If I hear one more person talking about the people holed up in NOLA like they are roughriders stubbornly riding out the storm I am going to blow a fuse.

Comments

Erik — August 29, 2005 at 07:54 · reply

I totally agree with you that CNN is being glib with phrases like “10,000 people opted to remain”, but your imagination has failed you here. There always are people who could evacuate, but choose not to. (Some are quoted in this AP article, along with some who are trapped, and a complete obliviousness to the likely overwhelming size of the latter group.)

maggiebree — August 29, 2005 at 13:34 · reply

I was watching just moments ago when CNN was interviewing Sen. Mary Landrieu. I’m not sure if she was just extrmely stressed or what, but when asked about the people at the Superdome, she pretty much just said ‘well we told people to evacuate.’

I think most people making these statements, really don’t understand that these people had no choice. Not that that excuses them.

maggiebree — August 29, 2005 at 13:36 · reply

Just to clarify, not that it excuses the people making the statements.

cwage — August 29, 2005 at 15:01 · reply

Okay, I think I went a little overboard with this example. It looks like he was talking about people actually staying in their houses.

Glenn — August 29, 2005 at 19:04 · reply

They interviewed a couple of the people who actually decided to stay on NPR this morning. One guy said he was staying so he could watch over his house, and another proudly declared that he had the tools to break through the roof if necessary. I’m guessing if you need tools to break through your roof, it’s already too late for you.

Erik — September 01, 2005 at 18:20 · reply

I’m sure you’ve seen this, but:

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, under questioning, attributed the problems to “real physical constraints . . . impassable roads. . . . It’s not a question of not having enough assistance.

“The critical thing was to get people out of there before the disaster,” he said on NBC’s “Today” program. “Some people chose not to obey that order. That was a mistake on their part.”

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