Independent Examination of Katrina's "handling"

I encourage you to go to Moveon and sign the petition for an independent commission to examine how we did not know how to behave concerning Katrina.

Here is what I said on my note with the petition:"We need to quit looking for the mote in all other world government eyes and look in our own. Let us have an independent commission examine what went wrong with Katrina. I doubt anyone who wanted a Homeland Security office wanted it to be ineffective, chaotic, and dumb. It appears that those of us who watch a bit of TV and read the newspaper knew more than Mike Brown."

I had been thinking about the mote idea when I heard Kofi Anan today talking about UN reforms and when I thought about Bill Maher's "letter" to Bush last night about bringing democracy to Iraq. You should catch that if you did not. Maher was really right on target about the length of time it took the US to do such things as free the slaves, give women the right to vote, and to pass a voting rights act.

I have no confidence that we are safer now than before 9-11 or Katrina. I didn't before, but I certainly did not expect to see the level of incompetence we had with Katrina. The news of the mayor of New Orleans ordering evacuation was heard around the US. His action probably saved many, many lives. The school bus use is still unclear. Some evidently were used and some just drowned with many people. Now are we going to blame him for taking some action as opposed to none on the parts of many???

If you read this, you should do a search on the Internet in your own area for plans for emergencies. Start asking questions of people running for office and of your local "first responders." Oh, and do go to the NY Times for Wednesday, Sept 14 and read Maureen Dowd, one of the US's smartest redheads!