NEW ORLEANS AND ITS FATE WITH KATRINA

I always have a soft corner for New Orleans and the surrounding area. Jazz, good food and very hospitable people. The country is unique and standing out the Spanish Moss and of course the Mississippi river and all those river boats. I love the French Quarters more the country side. Thomas Jefferson would be surprised if he saw modern New Orleans. Louis Armstrong loved Mardi Gras and he loved New Orleans but he also wanted it be known that he should be buried in New York. One would say why? Well New Orleans once chose to be rude to him and so he just reciprocated. Much like Mother Earth has with global warming. Katrina with all the venom chose to be a category 4 and more and destroyed most of the area within and around the eye of the hurricane. Some say thousands are dead and the media keeps fumbling for facts because this hurricane kept them out of the eye. With winds up to 175 miles per hour - anything and everything within Katrina's target was hit and destroyed. There was heavy rain, gusty winds, and more. President George Bush Jr. had something to say. We know that he did nothing much to curtail global warming. We know that we should have had our Reservists in America helping our own people. We know that we should have had the ability to save our own people. We also know that most of our resources are not in the country — we are fighting a war in the land of the prophets that does our Nation disservice. 200 years ago Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark and a team to survey and make a trip to the West Coast. We all know at that time most of the West was pristine. The First People the Native Americans welcomed the travelers but the travelers in ways most dubious turned around and harmed those that welcome them. We remember the tears shed by Chief Joseph and his people and it was the beginning of the greed that would destroy much of what was once pristine. Thomas Jefferson what have you to say? This scene was repeated many times over in Louisiana and New Orleans. Once where there were trees all over New Orleans and the surrounding area - most of them were cut. Knowing that the land was below sea level — rapid growth of the City of New Orleans sucked the water under it and created a sunken bowl. Surrounded by water on 3 sides and protected by man made levees some 20 feet high — those that were aware of the happenings kept their fingers crossed. In the years to come there will be more Katrinas — some much more fierce then the one we all have just seen. Global warming is no joke and all over the world huge changes are taking place. In some places there has been drought. In other countries huge glaciers have melted before the eyes of the beholders. We cannot keep polluting the air, the water, and the land and think that Mother Earth will be forgiving. Policies made at the White House at so dumb that the world is astounded as to why the White House is not sensitive to nature and it not taking concrete steps to avoid the rapid global warming that already has shown its power and reality. The world is shocked when the United States has walked out from Environmental Summits in Japan, South Africa, and Brazil. The U.S. simply refuses to do the right thing help put in place measures to stop global warming. We have seen the poor and those that cannot fend for they suffer so much. We know the rich can fend for themselves. President Bush often talks the talk but he cannot walk the walk. It will take years to restore New Orleans and in the mean time President Bush will be telling us tales that are far from the reality. New Orleans and its fate with Katrina have a lesson to teach all of us. More so those of us that risk so much when we defy Mother Nature. We know that we should not build on land prone to liquefaction but we do. The 3 Combustion Turbines is a case in point. We know that we should not pollute but we continue to do so. Millions of vehicles spewing toxic diesel into the air mostly in areas where people of color reside. Katrina is a lesson and a mean lesson but one sent to us in advance to pay heed to sense and sensibilities. No one can defy Mother Nature not even a so called Super Power that has failed so many times.

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