It's Your Country, Too

There is light at the end of the tunnel, today.. The sun is shining and
relief is in place and rolling.. The few thousand who are remaining in New
Orleans can breathe a bit easier, if not much.. The sorrow and grief for the
ones lost can commence in earnest now, while they still recover the bodies
of the lost ones.. Whew.. this has been a national ordeal of extraordinary
proportions..

The blame game is commencing now, and the political hacks from the president
on down to the lowliest elected assemblyman is beginning to raise their ugly
heads to shout "He did it"...

That is a part of the natural processes of recovery, also.. I've stopped for
many accidents, involving a motorcycle fatality.. There is always the
bystander or onlooker that wisely shakes his head and opines, "That's all
those damned things are good for"... That's natural, as well..

Thoughts of my own have been running through my mind since Katrina found her
way to our Gulf Coast and wrecked such horrible damage to everyone in her
path.. We've seen images of cities being demolished by high winds and
water.. We've seen our people plundered and ravaged by mother nature..
There's not much left to say about that.. One, two and three of our States
were affected by this monster.. Make no mistake about it.. every State in
our Nation will feel some effect, before it is over.. The ones who watched
and listened as survivors, one after the other .. shared their own stories
of horror and grief .. have been touched ..

There is no way that Katrina can be blamed on anyone short of the creator..
Where the danger comes in.. is pointing that finger of blame with reckless
abandom.. I have my own views of who failed in this exercise of disaster..
America itself shares part of the blame in this catastrophy.. We've all had
a hand in the responsibility .

Hopefully .. we have all learned a great deal through this experience with
Katrina.. America is at a crossroads. none of us can afford to remain as
bystanders and onlookers, any longer.. We are our brothers keepers, whether
we like it or not.. While we dabbled with political questions of "who is in
charge".. Americans died.. cities were destroyed and the lives of hundreds
of thousands, changed forever.. The men in charge, who we elected to manage
our lives for us, in times of disasters... such as Katrina.. let America
down, in ways that we cannot even imagine.. Hindsight is always 20/20.. but
one fact is indisputable.. something is wrong in the richest and most
powerful nation on this earth.. It is our responsibility to root it out ..
find out what it is.. then, do something about it.. America belongs to all
of us .. it is time for ALL of US to decide just what America is about..

Bill Walker
Irving