"Good Morning, America, How Are You? Don't You Know Me? I'm Your Native Son."

"America's Forgotten Son"

Watching the Congressional Black Caucus on C-SPAN helped make me feel better on Friday night. Finally! Leaders who are saying what needs to be said. They were not pointing fingers, or making accusations. They were saying that "now is the time for action" and that "there will be plenty of time for finger pointing after we get everyone fed." They said every single angry thought that we were thinking. "How could this happen!?!" They asked the questions that needed asking (Five days!?!?) and assured the American public that they will work diligently to get answers when the time comes.

Jesse Jackson Jr. was a strong orator who was able to phrase these thoughts in strong, precise language that was not based solely on emotional gut responses. Hearing their/his message made me feel better than donating to the Red Cross, better than seeing the truckloads of food, water and supplies collected by UPN within 24 hours and on the road as soon as they were full (yes, a TV station kicked FEMA's ass).

Bush should be ashamed of himself. He showed up in New Orleans for photo ops, neglecting to tell those weeping women he was hugging that it was his administration who cut the New Orleans flood control funding by 44% to pay for the Iraq war. Even though in 2001 FEMA warned that a hurricane striking New orleans was one of the 3 most likely disasters in the US. He also neglected to mention that the US government initially refused international aid for this disaster. WHY? It was obvious to the world that we needed help since we were not responding to our citizens aid on our own.

Local government was underprepared for this disaster. The Federal Government didn't start preparing for emergency relief until after the storm. Is it because the victims are poor and black? Or just because they are black? I was listening to live radio broadcasts from New Orleans and the surrounding area that said food and help is there, but just trickling in despite the displays of convoys of trucks and buses. I thought I was done crying but I was wrong.

Wisconsin said they would take 20,000 refugees. Arkansas has taken 20,000 and said they were prepared to take more. Houston, TX has already taken 50,000 and said they were prepared to take more. Our wonderful governor Tim Pawlenty said we would take 5,000. I hang my head in shame as an American and a Minnesotan.