I just need to rant a little. New Orleans was hit with unspeakable tragedy a few weeks ago, and rescue efforts have been slow. I sincerely feel the deepest sympathy for those killed, displaced, or otherwise significantly affected by the storm. It's sad that this tragedy was preventable. I've heard that for as little as a few hundred million dollars - though possibly more like $2B, the levees could have been strengthened to withstand the force of the storm. But New Orleans partied on, oblivious to or in denial of the dangers placing their city in imminent peril almost every hurricane season.
Cries are heard that the federal government didn't do enough to prevent the damage to New Orleans. Few arguments are less compelling to me. We are a nation founded on nothing if we're not founded on the principle of individual responsibility. Americans have proven their mettle time and time again. We're the nation that birthed the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford; we're the nation that put men on the moon; we're the nation the prides itself in its ingenuity, responsibility and strength. Thus, it's surprising that a city as large as New Orleans, with the tourist revenues it generates, was unable to manage to find the money to save itself from nearly total devastation.
I don't think New Orleans is unique in its irresponsibility, though. As a city, its lack of preparation is merely a reflection on the state of our nation. We're becoming a nation of people who are no longer able to handle our own problems. Individually, we look to others to tell us who we are and to protect us from all ill - we rely on the goverment in everything from food and drug regulations to housing. When disaster strikes, we start pointed fingers, whining, and blaming our fellow citizens for not better protecting us. We've become Schwartzenegger's "girlymen." Don't get me wrong, my heart breaks for the families hit by Katrina. I'm glad I wasn't living where it wreaked its havoc. I believe we should all lend a helping hand by doing what we can to help those people. But, ultimately, most of those living in New Orleans, and the south in general, made the decision to live there, despite the known risks. They lost an expensive gamble. Now it's time to prove whether the "American Spirit" still lives in the people of New Orleans. Will the residents return willing to throw their own energies into restoring the city, or will the rest of us bear the burden alone? I sincerely hope New Orleans can pull itself up by the bootstraps and rebuild itself again. Unfortunately, I expect that the rest of us will end up shouldering that city's problems ourselves and, for the most part, alone - not voluntarily, but involuntarily.
Which brings me to another question that remains in my mind. Should I - me, personally - and you, be forced to pay to rebuild a city that lies as much as 17 feet below sea level in a hurricane zone? Is this wise? The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that in the past quarter the U.S. went something like another $185 Billion into debt. Our nation is already on a course of financial self-destruction. Should we really be pouring resources into an area that will be perpetually in danger of being hit with another hurricane? I don't think Californians should be forced to make that decision merely because New Orleans is a famous place. After all, when was the last time California or any state other than Louisiana benefitted financially from the existence of New Orleans? Our federal government has forgotten its role. Disaster relief is one thing; local development is quite another, regardless of the tragedy giving rise to its necessity.
It's time for individuals to step up to the plate. Maybe Louisianans can rebuild their own city, or maybe corporate investors can help do so - there's surely an incentive for them.
I know it may sound heartless and cold, but if my house gets burglarized tomorrow, I don't think you should be forced to pay for my losses, whether or not the burglary occurred because I left my back door unlocked like New Orleans did.
Too many people don't grow up anymore. They remain perpetual children, looking to their parents, friends, and governments to take care of them. And, it's hard to blame them since they're never forced to take responsibility for themselves. They claim their backgrounds prohibit them from becoming useful, contributing citizens, but quite frankly, I've have three good friends who came from the worst and poorest family backgrounds and pulled themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and have become honest, responsible, and contributing citizens. One is a lawyer, one is a paralegal, and one is a chef and all around handyman who "immigrated" from Mexico 20-something years ago at the age of 15. These individuals have proven to me that life isn't about what we're given, it's about what we make out of what we have. And until we're forced to start making something with what we've got, we'll always be looking to be given more.
