Katrina Plus One Year
One year ago today, I sat on the steps outside my motel room with my seven year old nephew. I wondered how much he understood of what had happened, this catastrophe that had ripped away everything and left us all homeless, property-less. So, I asked. His answer: "Yeah, it broke my house." What do you say to that? I decided to make him feel better by telling him a fairy tale.
Don't worry. Everything's going to be just fine. The government's going to help us. Your mom and I and your aunts and uncles and your dad, we all pay taxes. Do you know what taxes are? Well, you know how mommy gets a paycheck? Yeah. Well, the government takes a little bit of every paycheck and they use that money to help people in situations just like this. It won't be long before you'll have a new house and toys and a new school and friends. It won't be Chalmette. It won't be the same. But it'll all be okay. I promise.
I might as well have told him that Superman was going to come in and save the day, fly really fast around the world and turn back time, use that really strong breath of his to stop the water pouring into New Orleans. I'll never forgive this government for making me a liar.
Don't worry. Everything's going to be just fine. The government's going to help us. Your mom and I and your aunts and uncles and your dad, we all pay taxes. Do you know what taxes are? Well, you know how mommy gets a paycheck? Yeah. Well, the government takes a little bit of every paycheck and they use that money to help people in situations just like this. It won't be long before you'll have a new house and toys and a new school and friends. It won't be Chalmette. It won't be the same. But it'll all be okay. I promise.
I might as well have told him that Superman was going to come in and save the day, fly really fast around the world and turn back time, use that really strong breath of his to stop the water pouring into New Orleans. I'll never forgive this government for making me a liar.
posted by Melinda at
1:18 PM
3 Comments:
They had a documentary Katrina - one year later, over here. There is just so much that is not being done. The war is eating away at the money that could be better used to help the people in need in the USA.
They have TV in New Zealand? Wow! haha I really, really, really have to see New Zealand before I die. Preferably not during a tsunami, but these things have a habit of following me around.
You're right, however, about the war. A lot of it, unfortunately, is more about a lack of will in local, state, and federal government.
*hugs* I miss Melinda
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