Be Prepared

[Torog]

This from a thread,under the article,Be Prepared,from the Pitsburgh Times-Tribune.

"I received the following in an email and it was un-attributed. I have no idea whom the author is, I would love to have attributed it to them with praise. I have found it so point on, I felt it needed to be dispersed widely and here on FR is a good start."

One man's opinion...


School of Hard Knocks

If people haven't been learning the lessons from Katrina that they
absolutely need to learn, then they haven't been paying attention.

1. On Friday evening the National Weather Service predicted the path of the storm heading towards New Orleans. By Saturday morning, it was clear that the storm was growing in strength and it was suggested that people begin evacuating.

2. By Saturday afternoon it was clear that Katrina was growing in strength. The Mayor of New Orleans appeared on TV weepy and sad, expressing concern about what could happen in New Orleans.

3. Sunday morning it was obvious that the storm would hit as a Category 4 or 5.

4. On Sunday the Governor of Louisiana was crying and worried about the state and asked the rest of us to pray for Louisiana.

5. Sunday at 2:00 pm a mandatory evacuation was ordered.

Now let's look at what has happened so far and what we know after the fact:

1. 10% of New Orleans was below the poverty level. It would have been obvious (and was obvious) that these people had no means to leave the city by themselves.

2. Not a single hospital, faced with mandatory evacuation orders, was moved. We've not heard of a SINGLE airlift of patients out of hospitals in the direct path of the storm, moved to areas outside of the impact zone.

3. Not a single school, public, or charter bus left the city carrying people unable to find the means of leaving on their own.

What should happen now:

1. There are hundreds of buses and cars under water in New Orleans and elsewhere in the regions. The Mayor of New Orleans should be brought up on criminal negligence charges for failing to act and refusing assistance until literally after the storm passed and the levees failed.

2. The people should understand that you NEVER elect a sympathetic social worker type to public office. If an individual hasn't served in the military or in an equivalent capacity of managing huge infrastructures and people, they have no business running a government.

3. The Governor of Louisiana should be brought up on criminal negligence charges--she did not call up the National Guard, order a single evacuation plan, or organize shelters until AFTER the disaster hit. She, a babbling idiot, should spend the rest of her days behind bars, watching the death and destruction on a continuous loop in her jail cell.

What people should have learned by now:

When the government says "leave" you LEAVE! You have ready: 3 days of water and food, a "grab and go" bag that contains clothing, toiletries, and cash to get you where you will be safe. If it takes you more than 15 minutes to evacuate, you're doing it wrong and are not sufficiently prepared. If you have more time, you should be able to evacuate with three weeks of supplies.

Every person in your family over the age of about 12 should be trained in the use of firearms. If you live in an area that doesn't allow you to own firearms, MOVE. You should have in your possession a weapon for every member of the family. That includes arming your 12 year old daughter. Because SHE may become separated from you and will need the means of defending herself.

You must have an evacuation plan. Discuss with family every possible need to evacuate--what conditions might require you to leave. Plan the routes, what you'll take, a location to meet up if you are separated, etc. etc.

Do not leave your neighborhood with an empty seat in your car or truck. Make sure you have filled that seat with one of your neighbors. Be prepared to take care of yourself for AT LEAST 3 days.

Expect civil unrest and looting. If you value your property more than the lives of your family, YOU WILL DIE. I repeat: IF YOU VALUE YOUR PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS MORE THAN YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF YOUR LOVED ONES, YOU WILL DIE.

The Federal Government is not going to be able to help you. As with ALL law enforcement matters and catastrophes, they only come for the clean up. They are not going to help you until AFTER the catastrophe has occurred.

If I hear one more person making a statement that begins with "The President of the United States should..." I am going to punch him in the nose, kick him where it hurts, or knock them over the head with a mallet. This is NOT a Federal matter. There is no way that anyone is capable of doing anything for AT LEAST three days, more likely three weeks.

The Federal Government is not the authority in charge here. The STATE and LOCAL governments are in charge. If the people you've been electing to PROTECT AND SERVE you in your local and state are bureaucrats with no leadership, management, or disaster experience, knowing how to do nothing more than write welfare checks, you are seriously screwed. MOVE.

Looters or anyone stepping outside of civilized behavior should be shot on site--no malice, no concern. You're eradicating pests. Society will be better off without them and the neighborhoods and decent people of the world safer. I'm not talking about someone who is only stealing food or clothing. I'm talking about those taking TVs and other nonessentials. This looting didn't occur when the Mississippi Valley flooded. Civilized people, without prodding and babysitting from government, form distribution networks to equitably distribute food and clothing from the remaining supplies. Civilized human beings DO NOT loot.

You have only one ally in such a disaster: YOU. You are responsible for the health and safety of your family. The looters and thugs of the world WILL crawl from the cracks of society and will prey on you and your neighbors.

This has happened in EVERY SINGLE catastrophe. If you are not prepared! for this, YOU WILL DIE.

Not a single event of this catastrophe is a surprise, with the exception of the extent of the incompetence of the local leadership.

I think this feller is absolutely correct...

Have a good one ....

Torog Reviewed by Torog on 09-10-2005. Be Prepared This from a thread,under the article,Be Prepared,from the Pitsburgh Times-Tribune. "I received the following in an email and it was un-attributed. I have no idea whom the author is, I would love to have attributed it to them with praise. I have found it so point on, I felt it needed to be dispersed widely and here on FR is a good start." One man's opinion... School of Hard Knocks If people haven't been learning the lessons from Katrina that they Rating: 5

[bhallg2k]

This from a thread,under the article,Be Prepared,from the Pitsburgh Times-Tribune.

"I received the following in an email and it was un-attributed. I have no idea whom the author is, I would love to have attributed it to them with praise. I have found it so point on, I felt it needed to be dispersed widely and here on FR is a good start."

One man's opinion...


School of Hard Knocks

If people haven't been learning the lessons from Katrina that they
absolutely need to learn, then they haven't been paying attention.

1. On Friday evening the National Weather Service predicted the path of the storm heading towards New Orleans. By Saturday morning, it was clear that the storm was growing in strength and it was suggested that people begin evacuating.

Gov. Blanco declares a state of emergency for Louisiana, allowing for mass voluntary evacuations.

2. By Saturday afternoon it was clear that Katrina was growing in strength. The Mayor of New Orleans appeared on TV weepy and sad, expressing concern about what could happen in New Orleans.

Gov. Blanco petitions the federal government for assistance, declaring, "...I have determined that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and affected local governments, and that supplementary Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect property, public health, and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a disaster. I am specifically requesting emergency protective measures, direct Federal Assistance, Individual and Household Program (IHP) assistance, Special Needs Program assistance, and debris removal." Also in the requesting letter, the governor stated: "In response to the situation I have taken appropriate action under State law and directed the execution of the State Emergency Plan on August 26, 2005 in accordance with Section 501 (a) of the Stafford Act. A State of Emergency has been issued for the State in order to support the evacuations of the coastal areas in accordance with our State Evacuation Plan and the remainder of the state to support the State Special Needs and Sheltering Plan..."

3. Sunday morning it was obvious that the storm would hit as a Category 4 or 5.

Gov. Blanco petitions the White House to declare a national disaster. Mayor Nagin orders the mandatory evacuation of New Orleans and opens the Superdome for those who can't leave.

4. On Sunday the Governor of Louisiana was crying and worried about the state and asked the rest of us to pray for Louisiana.


Like I said, Gov. Blanco had petitioned the White House to declare a national disaster and Nagin ordered the evacuation. I guess a little emotion is unforgivable.

5. Sunday at 2:00 pm a mandatory evacuation was ordered.

Now let's look at what has happened so far and what we know after the fact:

1. 10% of New Orleans was below the poverty level. It would have been obvious (and was obvious) that these people had no means to leave the city by themselves.

Actually the poverty level is closer to 25% in New Orleans, with 40% of the children living under the poverty level. But that's neither here nor their since most folks of your ilk don't care about poor people are brown people.

2. Not a single hospital, faced with mandatory evacuation orders, was moved. We've not heard of a SINGLE airlift of patients out of hospitals in the direct path of the storm, moved to areas outside of the impact zone.

Well, since you're mentioning it, hospitals had moved their most critical patients to the roofs of hospitals waiting for promised federal airlifts that never came. After the storm, doctors and nurses were left with the ghastly task of chosing which patients could live and which should be left to die.

3. Not a single school, public, or charter bus left the city carrying people unable to find the means of leaving on their own.

That's untrue. I'll explain next.

What should happen now:

1. There are hundreds of buses and cars under water in New Orleans and elsewhere in the regions. The Mayor of New Orleans should be brought up on criminal negligence charges for failing to act and refusing assistance until literally after the storm passed and the levees failed.

Those buses were underwater because they had already ferried people out of the region, this according to the Jefferson Parish Director of Emergency Management. The fact is, Nagin had been begging both state and federal authorities for days.

2. The people should understand that you NEVER elect a sympathetic social worker type to public office. If an individual hasn't served in the military or in an equivalent capacity of managing huge infrastructures and people, they have no business running a government.

That's right. So why is W. president? Sure he ran companies...but into the ground. And let's not get into his "military service."

3. The Governor of Louisiana should be brought up on criminal negligence charges--she did not call up the National Guard, order a single evacuation plan, or organize shelters until AFTER the disaster hit. She, a babbling idiot, should spend the rest of her days behind bars, watching the death and destruction on a continuous loop in her jail cell.

By declaring a state of emergency, evacuation orders were given by law FOUR DAYS ahead of the storm. Those that could leave, left. Those who couldn't did as they were told and went to the Superdome and the Convention Center where they were promised federal help ASAP...that being a whole fucking week.

What people should have learned by now:

When the government says "leave" you LEAVE! You have ready: 3 days of water and food, a "grab and go" bag that contains clothing, toiletries, and cash to get you where you will be safe. If it takes you more than 15 minutes to evacuate, you're doing it wrong and are not sufficiently prepared. If you have more time, you should be able to evacuate with three weeks of supplies.

How do you get all that shit if you're living paycheck to paycheck? It's hard to stock up on supplies when you're barely getting by to begin with. Again, this is just disregard for the people who remain oppressed because of W's fucked up policies.

Every person in your family over the age of about 12 should be trained in the use of firearms. If you live in an area that doesn't allow you to own firearms, MOVE. You should have in your possession a weapon for every member of the family. That includes arming your 12 year old daughter. Because SHE may become separated from you and will need the means of defending herself.

And by all means, shoot yourself. But, I digress.

You must have an evacuation plan. Discuss with family every possible need to evacuate--what conditions might require you to leave. Plan the routes, what you'll take, a location to meet up if you are separated, etc. etc.

Do not leave your neighborhood with an empty seat in your car or truck. Make sure you have filled that seat with one of your neighbors. Be prepared to take care of yourself for AT LEAST 3 days.

Expect civil unrest and looting. If you value your property more than the lives of your family, YOU WILL DIE. I repeat: IF YOU VALUE YOUR PROPERTY AND POSSESSIONS MORE THAN YOUR LIFE OR THE LIFE OF YOUR LOVED ONES, YOU WILL DIE.

The Federal Government is not going to be able to help you until we have a new president - it's funny how FEMA was effective when Bill Jeff was in office. As with ALL law enforcement matters and catastrophes, they only come for the clean up. They are not going to help you until AFTER the catastrophe has occurred.

If I hear one more person making a statement that begins with "The President of the United States should..." I am going to punch him in the nose, kick him where it hurts, or knock them over the head with a mallet. This is NOT a Federal matter. There is no way that anyone is capable of doing anything for AT LEAST three days, more likely three weeks.

Ok. Let me get this straight. W. knew Katrina was coming, had been petitioned for assistance days in advance and couldn't do anything? It didn't take that long for the government to spring into action after 9/11 and that shit was a surprise!

And...THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SHOULD'VE stopped cutting the Corps of Engineers' budget when everyone with a minimal IQ knew that anything over a CAT 3 storm would break the levees. Where are your calls for criminal negligence charges here?

The Federal Government is not the authority in charge here. The STATE and LOCAL governments are in charge. If the people you've been electing to PROTECT AND SERVE you in your local and state are bureaucrats with no leadership, management, or disaster experience, knowing how to do nothing more than write welfare checks, you are seriously screwed. MOVE.

Interesting note: Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama all voted for W.

Looters or anyone stepping outside of civilized behavior should be shot on site--no malice, no concern. You're eradicating pests. Society will be better off without them and the neighborhoods and decent people of the world safer. I'm not talking about someone who is only stealing food or clothing. I'm talking about those taking TVs and other nonessentials. This looting didn't occur when the Mississippi Valley flooded. Civilized people, without prodding and babysitting from government, form distribution networks to equitably distribute food and clothing from the remaining supplies. Civilized human beings DO NOT loot.

I think merely saying that is "uncivilized." May I shoot you now? I mean, really. How is it civilized to suspend due process, even in cases of emergency?

You have only one ally in such a disaster: YOU. You are responsible for the health and safety of your family. The looters and thugs of the world WILL crawl from the cracks of society and will prey on you and your neighbors.

This has happened in EVERY SINGLE catastrophe. If you are not prepared! for this, YOU WILL DIE.

Not a single event of this catastrophe is a surprise, with the exception of the extent of the incompetence of the local leadership.

I think this feller is absolutely correct...

Yeah, you would. Wake up, man. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

Have a good one ....

This makes no sense at all. It's pure ideological rhetoric and complete disregard for facts. I'm amazed that people can't point the finger of blame where it belongs when it's so simple.

I weep for my country.

[nicholasstanko]

This makes no sense at all. It's pure ideological rhetoric and complete disregard for facts. I'm amazed that people can't point the finger of blame where it belongs when it's so simple.

I weep for my country.

brilliant fucking post, man.

i salute you.