Oprah - nation owes apology to N.O. victims

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

In the NY Times, discusses show Oprah did at the Dome, will have another show tomorrow (Wednesday):

In the first of two shows devoted to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Oprah Winfrey said yesterday that the nation owed an apology to the people who died in the streets of New Orleans and elsewhere, and to the survivors whose misery was compounded by a relief effort whose inadequacy "makes me so mad."...

"Nothing I saw on television prepared me for what I experienced on the ground," she said on the show. While she stopped short of overt criticism of the relief efforts, she said later: "This makes me so mad. This should not have happened." And after hearing descriptions of people dying unattended in the streets, she said, "I think we all - this country owes these people an apology...."

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon and a regular contributor to Ms. Winfrey's show, toured medical facilities at New Orleans International Airport and described the removal of critically ill patients to a makeshift morgue "just so they can pass away in peace."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/07/arts/television/07opra.html

[Hardrada]

1. I think the Bush Regime owes them an apology.

I was in agony from the first I saw the danger. But in Iowa all we could do was hope and pray. I do not accept collective guilt here since it lets the real perpetrators of misery off the hook.

[krkaufman]

5. Thanks. Perfectly captured my viewpoint. n/t

[Mythsaje]

2. This country my ass...

...this ADMINISTRATION.

Say it straight, Oprah.

[still_one]

3. i think she may be referring to the people who voted him in

and those that didn't even bother to vote

[Mythsaje]

4. The bush voters are one thing...

The non-voters have reason to think it's all bullshit anyway. You get a choice of Brand X or Brand Y politician. Within five years someone's bound to be investigating them no matter WHAT party they allegedly represent.

They can't see how a rich white man can claim to represent them. And, you know, they've got a point.

[Hello_Kitty]

7. You should hear what I've been overhearing

Now that several days have passed they are coming out of the woodwork. I've been privy to several hushed comments from co-workers, people at my gym and other places I patronize. Really nice compassion from my fellow Americans.

The victims "deserve what they got - they should have left".

"They're all on welfare anyway".

"If you take in a Black family watch out 'cause they'll probably steal from you".

"They were raping and looting and killing each other! They were shooting at the people trying to rescue them!"

I'm hearing these things far too frequently. I don't blame these petty racists for what happened to the people of NO but it's this attitude that led the * administration to believe they could get away with their depraved indifference. And I'm starting to fear they may have been correct about that.

[ofrfxsk]

6. Lousiana owes its residents an apology

That includes the mayor of New Orleans, the governer, the senators and the state legistlators.

They knew this disaster was coming for DECADES. Why the hell wasn't there a plan to get the poor out?
Bush fucked up mightily by cutting funding but he's only been in power 5 years. Where the flying fuck were the politicians decades before that?!?!

This is inexusable on every level. Stop JUST blaming Bush. Everyone is to blame here. Democrats recent and going back decades as well as Repub's.

This is America's shame and it cannot be put on one administration and any person who has studied American politics knows that. Just stop it and read people.

[Catrina]

8. Wrong

this is Bush's folly. This is the result of HIS policies. There was NO response from the Federal Govt. despite all proper procedures having been followed by the Governor of LA. Nothing, none, zero response.

No, wait, it was WORSE than no response! FEMA STOPPED help from getting to the victims.

Starting in 2001 this administration cut, cut and cut programs that would have helped in this situation.

But, more importantly, he was elected (well, that's debatable) but there are people who voted for him because he said that if the voted for Kerry ~ bad things would happen. They voted for HIM, because he rammed it down people's throats that he was practically God when it came to protecting this country.

So, that's how he got in, and he failed miserably. If he was lying back then, he cheated those who trusted him. But instead of paying attention to the threats to this country (one of them being just what happened in NO) he did everything to make it impossible to take care of a catastrophe like this.

He wanted this job, he said he alone could protect this country. He got a $41 billion dollar budget to do the job for Homeland Security. He sent the NG overseas to a useless war which lied about. Please, don't blame a mayor, or a governor who DID her job (it's documented).

The buck for this crime stops with the Bush administration and just about everyone I know, believes that, even those who voted for him.

[ofrfxsk]

9. You didn't read my post

I wasn't absolving Bush. I was blaming those who came before him. Think about it. This is literally decades in the making. This disaster is not Bush's fault. The lack of response is but the majority of fault lies on Louisiana's politico's door step. They had the time but they were too busy raiding the coffers to protect their own. People want to blame everyone but the main culprit and that is Louisiana itself. Sorry if the truth is harsh.

[Catrina]

10. I did read your post and I disagree

with your analysis. Even if the maintainance of the levees was sub-standard before this administration took office, they did more to cut funds than any other administration, for one thing.

But that's not the point. Let's say you are correct. Then the blame falls even more on this administration for not getting those poor people out of a city that, if you are correct, was a death-trap for whatever reason and which they knew.

If I or anyone I know were president ~ and if I believed that what you say is true, I would have been even more frantic to get those people out four days before this storm hit the region.

So, while neglect of the levees may be a subject for discussion, in this case, that is all the more reason to fear for the lives of the people who were now facing a deadly storm with no way out.

Bush ignored it all and left them to die in a city, which, if what you say is correct and it may be, was a deathtrap. He is to blame for the high deathtoll. Many, many lives COULD have been saved, regardless of the history of the city's maintainance ~ that was my point.