What Part of "Evacuate the City" Did You Not Understand?

I would give anything to be in college right now... taking some sort of a class dealing with current events. I can't begin to imagine the topics of discussion.... my mind is swirling from all the images of the lawlessness, the greed, the finger-pointing, the expectations that "someone needs to do this for me", etc. Maybe I am looking at it wrong... maybe I am incapable of relating on the most basic of levels because I' ve never experienced such devastation.... but to have witnessed the horror of 9/11 and now to witness the horror of this natural catastrophe, I'd have to say that New Yorkers are much more adept at conducting themselves in an orderly manner than the people in New Orleans. It disgusts me to call myself an American if this is the impression the rest of the world is getting about how we behave when under stress.

I don't recall any images of looting and anarchy during the 9/11 aftermath. I don't recall any snipers taking shots at rescue workers as they tried to get into the destroyed area to search for victims, whether still alive or perished.

How interesting that when NYC was struck, the name of the mayor became a household word and an instantly recognizable face. All I know about the mayor of NO is his last name is Nagin. Never heard him speak, never saw any more than a photo of him in the corner of the news screen. I've seen and heard more from Governor Blanco than the city mayor.

Following the collapse of the Twin Towers I don't recall citizens of the great city making it a point to get before the news camera to question why no one had arrived to help. The New Yorkers weren't worried about their creature comforts and what they were "owed" as tax-paying citizens... they worried about finding lost loved ones and made unified vows to rebuild and stick together.

Based on the pictures I've seen, the vast majority of the people complaining about having no food could live on their bodily "reserves" for quite a few days.

In retrospect, I am sure those who survived... and those who didn't.... the stikes on the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania would have given anything to have been given several days advanced warning about their impending fate. I think most, if not all, would have listened and taken action to insure their survival.

Whatever happened to "The Lord helps those who help themselves"?

For the record, I've made a donation to the American Red Cross even though as a single mom I could better use the money to put gas in my car and feeding my kids.