What We Can Learn from Katrina's Aftermath

You can learn a lot from the way people react to a crisis.

Some become heroes; while others are too scared to move. Some show their generosity; while others display their greed. Some look for the positive; others view it as an opportunity to denigrate their enemies.

What did you do after Hurricane Katrina? Where was your focus?

Obviously many of our political leaders have been a big disappointment. In New Orleans, the mayor went on television to blame the governor. The governor in turn blamed the federal government and the federal government spent valuable time and resources defending itself, propagandizing its efforts, and supporting each other.

Meanwhile what have we read and heard from the political leaders in Mississippi? Nothing but praise, support, and action. I'm sure they all weren't entirely pleased with the help they received from each other. But that was for another time, when their citizens were on the road to recovery.

The news media has been especially vitriolic in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. They have focused on the problems, not the successes. Yet, they have ignored their own contributution to the disaster.

CNN was particularly quick to lay blame and nearly hysterical in their sensationalistic cries of discrimination and negligence. Yet in the hours leading up to the hurricane, they were reminding viewers how Ivan and previous hurricanes had turned at the last minute and spared New Orleans and proudly reminded us how they were "right" again as Hurricane Katrina turned east and did not directly hit the city. Do you think perhaps a "few" residents of New Orleans may have been persuaded to ride out the hurricane instead of obeying the evacuation order?

But saddest of all, we witnessed the loss of civility of the people in some of the affected cities. Instead of inspiring stories of people coming to each others rescue as we did during September 11, we heard story after story of looting, rape, and mayhem. What has happened to our society where this kind of action has become so much the norm?

Is it a reflection of a society that revels in violent movies or makes Desperate Housewives and Survivor Island top rated television shows? Is it time for ethics and righteousness to reassert themselves in our society? Is it any wonder that "values" was the most important issue in our last election?

For more comments on Hurricane Katrina see: http://journals.aol.com/artbcpa/Katrinaandnaturaldisasters/