For many, today will pass without any special notice. Aside from the end of summer and the kids returning to school, nothing seems extraordinary about this day for most people.
But, last year, this day was the day that changed thousands of people’s lives and forced many living in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast from their homes. They left their jobs, pets and most worldly possessions in a mad rush to save their own lives.
In prior instances where thousands of lives have been thrown into upheaval or were lost, we acknowledged and honored the loss of life with a day of recognition or erected memorials commemorating the event. Instead, with the passing of this tragic anniversary, we’ve shrugged our shoulders, barely giving a nod to those whose lives are left in limbo and filled with uncertainty.
Even the progress in restoring the once vivacious, diverse city seems to have been forgotten. The streets in East Biloxi, Miss., and the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, where help is needed most, are still littered with the debris of wrecked homes and infrastructure. According to an Aug. 23 article in the Los Angeles Times, only half of the allotted $110 billion has been spent to restore the Gulf Coast.
The people in these areas are the ones who most desperately need the resources to restore their homes. Many families living in these areas were of lower income and are still struggling immensely to restore their homes and lives. Most people living in the hard hit, low-income neighborhoods were without extensive homeowner’s insurance that covered floods or monetary compensation from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and still need help to recuperate.
While officials blame bureaucratic red tape for the delays in reconstruction, the fact remains that many people remain displaced without adequate resources. According to a recent broadcast on National Public Radio Aug. 27, people trying to clean up their homes alone are struggling physically and financially.
The people most affected by the storm were largely African-American. While in July of this year the president spoke to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) promising to bridge the gap between the Republican Party and the African-American community, his promise remains mere words as many displaced African-Americans rightly remain resentful of the inadequacies of the government to respond to Hurricane Katrina and help people in its aftermath.
Rather than touring the damaged areas, shaking hands for photo opportunities and otherwise reminding constituents of his devotion to restore the Gulf Coast, President Bush needs to take seriously the needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina and revamp his approach to restoring the area. Clearly the previous strategy was inefficient in reviving the damaged cities and a new plan needs to be implemented.
Instead of following in true political fashion and making appearances with empty promises, the president should present the public with a new plan for restoring Katrina damaged areas and show concern for those who have thus far been largely forgotten by their government. They deserve it.