You can find the original comment here. You are now reading my response, since Mumon was SO kind as to respond with such compassion, such heartwarming concern.

Not.

I don’t apologize for the tone. I won’t, either. Suck it up. I got good and royally pissed off. I have people like him in my “Ripostes” section, with a content warning, for a reason. Times like this are why.

You know, it’s not a feeding frenzy.

Yes, yes it is.

You don’t live here. You don’t see the absolute nonsense – the pablum – that is being substituted for truth about conditions and attitudes here.

So please.. spare me the condescending “you don’t really understand” crap.

It’s retarded.

Take ownership: did you vote for Bush?

Yes? What does that have to do with whether and where a natural catastrophe hits?

You own what happened. Bush – and FEMA had authority to act even if Nagin and Blanco were utter incompetents – by law- and sat on their hands.

No, FEMA assists the local, county, and state authorities where they do not have the resources to do things on their own.

This is a common misconception. FEMA assists the local agencies in things they do not have the resources to do themselves. Such as flying in 1.5 million meals a day. Which, I might add, is being coordinated by our local National Guard commander – who is under the command of our state’s governor.

The state controls the national guard. The national guard keeps the peace where local authorities cannot. They, however, are not the responsibility, or under the authority of, the national government, on the soil of the continental United States.

FEMA assists MEMA (or LOHSEP) in emergency *management* operations. They *assist*. They do not take charge, they assist!

The Federal Government declared the disaster *before* it actually happened – an unprecedented move. The warnings issued before the emergency, both here and in New Orleans (my dad works there, mind) were the most dire I have EVER heard, and I’ve heard plenty. I’ve evacuated several times before, and stayed several times. I stayed for this one. I heard all the warnings – they begged, pleaded, did everything they could to get people out.

This is NOT anyone’s fault. It really, really pisses me off that people are actually *blaming* someone – ANYONE – for a natural disaster.

You really don’t know squat about it. You’re an armchair commentator, nowhere close to the scene. I’m right in the friggin middle of it, buster, so kindly shut your yap until you learn something – anything – about what you’re talking about.

I’ve cleaned up after two hurricanes before this one. I know what they do, and how little warning people get. We had a very short warning period for the size of the storm. The warnings were absolutely frightening, for those who live here in hurricane country. Everyone was given ample warning, however. This is a storm like NO other. Nothing has even been close. Do you really understand what the word “unprecedented” means? They’ve been using it for a reason, I promise.

Bush did worse- he did photo-ops that actually impeded aid!

Get over yourself.

A president visiting a disaster area occurs everytime there is a disaster. He visited after Ivan, after Hurricane George here, and after just about every other declared disaster in the history of the area.

Once again – the ignorance rears it’s head. Shut up. Everyone appreciated it here.

And as far as “those types of people” are concerned, (you mean African Americans?) you’ve just outed yourself.

Oh, please. Gag me with a Buick. The types of people who shoot at rescue copters. The types of people who rape women in the Convention center. The type who loot everything not nailed down.

THOSE types of people, you race-fixated dunderhead.

Noone cares about any racism conspiracy theories. What, do you think the rescue copters were flying over saying “oh, let’s pick him up – he’s white. Don’t pick him up – he’s black”?

Do you think Mississippi’s black population isn’t high, too? They are a very, very, very high percentage down here, too. It isn’t race. It’s the criminal idiocy, and crminal behavior of some elements of the population of New Orleans. That’s what “those people” is. Those people who have no morals, no decency, and did not even attempt to assist in saving, or evacuating. Just kept on doing what they always do – act like criminals. New Orleans is one of the most gang-infested cities in the nation. It is *unreal*. I know them, I have friends who have escaped the culture there. Those are who were doing these things. I recognized the modus operandi. I don’t care if they are black, white, latino, or asian – and New Orleans contains gangs of all 4 types, and others besides. The problem is the criminal behavior, not race.

Yeah, I outed myself as someone who can’t stand criminal thugs shooting at rescue copters. Boo friggin hoo.

Take a look the video here, (courtesy of this Kos diary, and you tell me, you tell the whole blogosphere, that in that situation you’d have had the courage and the sense of community and decency that Charmain Neville did.

This entire community been doing things for people. We’ve been cutting yards out, cleaning out the food rotting in refrigerators, clearing roads, and everything that needs doing. I’m the only member of a large extended family in the whole area down here. I’ve cut trees out of 5 yards now, and I’m still working on it.

That’s what we are all doing. That’s what we all have been doing for the past week and a half, while you’ve been sitting in your armchair making comments. I’m IN THIS AREA, Mumon. You aren’t within 500 miles. Maybe not even 1,000.

I *watched the hurricane come in*. I was sitting on my girlfriend’s porch, watching it, until it got too bad. I’ve been running chainsaws ever since, buddy.

The rest of the world saw this stuff, and yes, they said “racism.”

*What* racism? What is racist about a hurricane? What the HECK are you talking about? What are you comapring it to? Does the word “incomparable” mean anything to you? There is NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING comparable to this, in the recent history of this nation. 9-11 didn’t do near this damage. The city of New Orleans, the ENTIRE city of New Orleans, is gone. (Save very, very few areas) An area the size of England, the country, is devastated, beyond your wildest imaginings. The work that has been done so far is absolutely mind-boggling.

I was just down at the southern half of Diamondhead – the part near the water – yesterday. Nothing is left. Nothing. The houses there were beautiful. They were, most of them, up on stilts, in case of flooding. The posts are still up. The houses are scattered bits of kindling, strewn all over the surrounding miles.

A city I used to live in – wiped off the face of the map. Pass Christian. A city I used to work in – decimated. Long Beach. A city not even 10 minutes from my front door – flooded, devastated, destroyed. Bay St. Louis. A town I bought groceries at every month, and used to work in – wiped away. Waveland.

The town my girlfriend lives in, and I stayed the hurricane in – Gulfport – ravaged. The city where both of my brothers go to school – trashed. Biloxi. This is where I live, Mumon. My dad works in New Orleans. I JUST went to Six Flags at New Orleans, not even 3 weeks ago. The roller coasters are sitting in 3-4 feet of water, right now.

You don’t know what you’re talking aobut. Linking to a sad story does not make you an expert on all things Katrina. You have no clue, no way of getting one, and Sherlock Holmes may not be able to retrieve one for you. Shut up, sit down, and don’t even bother trying to think you know what you’re talking about.

You’re parroting all of the little talking points fed to you. Good minion. We don’t care. We’re in the midle of it, and we’re doing just fine, thanks. We don’t need handouts, we want help, freely offered. We don’t want condescension – we want compassion. We don’t want blame – we want blessings. We don’t want partisan bickering – we want prayer.

We don’t want you, we don’t need you, and we just don’t care, if that’s all you have to say. Noone down here cares.

We’re grateful, beyond grateful, to those who came to help, and for our neighbor’s help. We’re happy to help our neighbor. Those who want to play the blame game, over our heads, like we don’t hear, understand, or are incapable of it? I, personally, think you are lower than the muck I was slogging through, walking up to Wiggins the day of the Hurricane.

I don’t care what you have to say, if all you’re capable of doing is pointing fingers.

(I personally think it’s poverty, so maybe you’re only someone who hates the poor…is that what Jesus would do?)

See that video, and do the honorable thing.

Shut your mouth, and get a clue, boy. You aren’t here. You aren’t down here in the mud, the tree branches, the damage, and the rotting garbage still floating on Biloxi’s back bay. You aren’t smelling the putrid food still decaying in Gulfport’s harbor.

You aren’t running a chainsaw, cutting trees off your parent’s house, and clearing off their driveway. You aren’t waiting in line for an hour to get *into* the supermarket. Our church is out delivering food to anyone who wants it – right now. Every morning at 9 am. I’m cutting trees.

I’ll do the honorable thing, all right. I’ll tell you to get a freaking clue, get off your fat butt, and DO something, if you’re so all-fired worried about it.

That’s what WE are all doing down here, bucko. Whether in New Orleans, or in Mississippi. We don’t need your parsimonious concern, your veiled allegations, your willful neglect, or your “principled” disdain.

You’re nothing. Nothing but an armchair commentator.

I’m right in the center of Katrina Country, bub. Don’t tell ME what is happening. I’m living it.