With the 2 year anniversary of Katrina and Rita soon approaching, I thought it was a good time to post my feelings about Katrina and what happened to the people of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. I invite anybody and everybody to leave comments.
I think its fair to say that just about everyone has seen the movie Titanic or knowns about the Titanic.
THE TITANIC and KATRINA/RITA tragedies are very much alike. Remember the 1st class passengers? How they acted with their noses up in the air? Thinking they were better than everyone else. Dressed differently or better, smelled better or so they thought. Spoke with a proper high society dialect. The Captain of the Titanic. So many years of knowledge and experience under his belt. In fact he was going to retire. What happened when the ship hit that ice berg and started sinking? The rich acted like animals running around complaining of how cold it was. Worrying what jewelry to take with them on the life boats. Men were caught dressing like women to get on a life boat. The Captain and crew ignored several warnings and increased their speed then went on business as usual.
Now with the iceberg in view, all that knowledge meant nothing. The Captain didnt know what to do. AT ALL!!!!! Because everything he did know could not change the fact that the ship was now sinking.
It was every man/women for his/her self.
The movie Titanic was so popular. Millions of people have claimed to have seen it. Yes the tragedy was close to 100 years ago and the movie was about 10 years ago. In so many ways the tragedy has returned again and her new names are Katrina and Rita.
I hope that the people in our nation even the world has learned something from this tragedy. Our government on local and national levels like the Captain had never experienced something this big. No matter how prepared they thought they were. Nothing could have prepared them or us for what was to come. No simulation act could come close to the real thing. Now realizing this after Katrina hit, the blame game began. I guess it human nature to put the blame on something or someone. Yes our government dropped the ball just as the captain and crew did.
Now as I watch all the new specials that have been coming on TV about the anniversary of Katrina, I wonder if we the people have learned anything. NOT the government. We all know the truth will never surface. Im talking to the civilians. You and I, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, even neighbors.
I think to myself, was there something I could have done differently? I have lived in or around New Orleans all my life. I was very well educated on Hurricanes. Just like my neighbors, the Captain of the Titanic and our government.
When I left for Katrina I was, Im ashamed to say, just like the 1st class people. I gathered up my family and valuables got in my car and headed for dry land. I too had not yet learned the greatest lesson the Titanic tragedy should have taught me. A life is the most valuable thing that exist on this earth.
Now its two years later. We have all this knowledge of what a storm can do and I find myself asking....
Have we made any attempted to meet and get to know the single mother or elderly couple down street? Or are we going to continue to keep our nose in our own back yard? How many people did get left behind because they were too poor. Maybe they didnt own a car. Have the luxury of debit or credit cards to book a hotel. Or the elderly. Too old to leave on their own because they cant drive. Maybe they had no living family. Katrina hit right before SSI checks were mailed.
How many people left with plenty room in their cars for extra passengers? Just like the life boats? Or was material things more important? And we just never got around to saying hi to the elderly man down the street. Im sure he has family. Or the single mom that had no place to go when the storms were coming. We have neighborhood watch programs all over the country. Why not watch out for our less fortunate in emergencies? Ive been told that people just dont do that anymore.
Why?
Last year I just watched Anderson Cooper do a story about 8 dolphins that lived at Mississippi's Sea World. Katrinas winds destroyed the park and carried the dolphins into the Gulf Of Mexico. Cooper said even though the dolphins were not housed together at Sea World they were found together in the gulf days later.
Together!????
This just touched my heart in the deepest place and obviously got me thinking.
Its 2 years later. Im hearing people still judging others that stayed behind. How the people of New Orleans and other areas acted while waiting for help. I watched death and sorrow turned into this blame game.
It needs to stop.
No One knows how they would act if they had to spend days in these deplorable conditions. So again I ask could I have done anything differently? Have I learn anything from my Katrina/Rita experience?
I pray to God that I did. I thank God for blessing me with my family and friends. I pray for those who lost love ones to find peace and strength. I thank God for all the people that reached out and tirelessly worked overwhelming hours to aid the victims. Even people with little means that offered a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen.
I know I can never express in words how thankful I am to the people that did step up to the plate. God bless all the people who did help us. Who did prove that love and compassion for our neighbor still exist.
Kelly Elizabeth
Blessed Katrina Survivor
