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Watching the people of Iowa and Missouri pull together to deal with the "500 year floods" has inspired me. Floating next to my concern for the residents are hopeful feelings about the best aspects of the American spirit on display in Iowa.
I had not linked flooded Midwest with the Katrina catastrophe not to mention the aftermath. But an email I got today changed that.
This email from my friend accused the media of ignoring any comparison to Katrina because it would "place the victims and officials of New Orleans in an unfavorable light." He observed that there is no "looting" going on in Iowa and that people in the flooded towns "are doing it on their own." I might have just agreed to disagree if not for Rush Limbaugh pushing that same point this week.
Midwest Flooding
An Amish boy takes a break from filling sandbags to combat the flood waters from the Mississippi River at the Pike County Fairgrounds in Pleasant Hill, Illinois, Wednesday, June 18, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
AP
BURLINGTON, MO- JUNE 18: A barge is seen floating on the flooded Mississippi River June 18, 2008 near Burlington, Missouri. Reports indicate that many barges are stuck on the river because of the high water. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Getty Images
BURLINGTON, MO- JUNE 18: Hal Geren steps back from a sump pump after starting it up to move water that is flowing from the Mississippi River under a makeshift wall June 18, 2008 in Burlington, Missouri. Communities along the Mississippi River continue preparing for flooding as the river continues to rise. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Getty Images
This aerial shows a break in the Indian Grave levee caused by flood waters from the Mississippi River north of Quincy Illinois, Wednesday, June 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
AP
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich looks at flood waters from the Mississippi River in a helicopter near Quincy Ill., Wednesday, June 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
AP
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich looks at flood waters from the Mississippi River in a helicopter near Quincy,Ill., Wednesday, June 18, 2008.(AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
AP
A soybean field is seen covered in flood water from the Mississippi River in Gregory Landing, Missouri June 18, 2008. The swollen Mississippi River ran over the top of at least 12 more levees on Wednesday, as floodwaters swallowed up more U.S. farmland, adding to billion-dollar losses and feeding global food inflation fears. REUTERS/Frank Polich (UNITED STATES)
Reuters
Dave Fraley, left, gives away grilled food and cold drinks for people passing through his flood ravaged neighborhood in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wednesday, June 18, 2008. Storms and flooding across six states this month have killed 24 people, injured 148 and caused more than $1.5 billion in estimated damage in Iowa alone _ a figure that's likely to increase as river levels climb in Missouri and Illinois. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
AP
KEOKUK, MO- JUNE 18: A train sits idle on the track as it is threatened by water from the flooding Mississippi River June 18, 2008 in Keokuk, Missouri. Communities along the Mississippi River continue preparing for flooding as the river continues to rise. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Getty Images
KEOKUK, MO- JUNE 18: A statue is surrounded by water from the flooding Mississippi River June 18, 2008 in Keokuk, Missouri. Communities along the Mississippi River continue preparing for flooding as the river continues to rise. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Getty Images
What do you think?
Limbaugh: I want to know. I look at Iowa, I look at Illinois-I want to see the murders. I want to see the looting. I want to see all the stuff that happened in New Orleans. I see devastation in Iowa and Illinois that dwarfs what happened in New Orleans. I see people working together. I see people trying to save their property ... I don't see a bunch of people running around waving guns at helicopters, I don't see a bunch of people running shooting cops. I don't see a bunch of people raping people on the street. I don't see a bunch of people doing everything they can...whining and moaning-where's FEMA, where's BUSH. I see the heartland of America. When I look at Iowa and when I look at Illinois, I see the backbone of America.
I say we all learned from Katrina. Limbaugh will never learn.
Could it be that the residents of Iowa and Missouri knew this time that "Go!" means get out of Dodge and quick? And what of stranded, dehydrated, sick and isolated Katrina victims asking for help from FEMA?
Isn't that why we pay taxes? Or is our money only to be used for waging war and building prisons? And regarding looting in Katrina, sure there were knuckleheads walk-swimming with TV's on their heads.
But for the most part, one reporter's black man "looting" was another's white woman "searching" for provisions remember this photo?. And what rapes? Or does Limbaugh mean the rape at the Superdome myth?
Comments: (32)
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By: Lynn on 4/13/2009 2:46AM
Floods and hurricanes are acts of God; floods on floodplains are fairly predictable, but not necessarily the severity. Hurricanes can be spotted but not steered. New Orleans is located in a disaster-prone area; Iowa farmers know floods come with the territory, literally. The city of New Orleans is/was a cultural treasure; the Iowa farmland is essential to our agriculture. The difference is poverty and politics; bad apples exist in both areas. Iowans are 'salt of the earth', for the most part, but I know crack/meth exists there as well as in Louisiana. Disaster response was bungled in the Gulf Coast, but better in Iowa...and the citizens in Iowa had more time and resources to band together. You can see water rising...you can't outrun a hurricane. Stop the fingerpointing and band together as Americans. Insist that disaster preparedness and response is adequate wherever it is needed, for whomever needs it. People are people.
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By: Shanel on 9/01/2009 6:37PM
I can't believe there is a comparison made. I'm from NO. If u live there u would know that the people in the Superdome didn't "drive there in thier fancy cars" and wait for assistance. Most of the people who were in the Superdome relied on public transporation to get to and from places on a daily basis. If you had a car and good sense, you LEFT the city long before. My family and I left and went to Texas 4 days before the storm hit. We took as many of our family members with us as possible. We didn't have to stay in hotels because half our family resides in Texas, so there were many doors open.
It's not fair to boast about how people in Iowa pull together and help rebuild themselves. They were CAPABLE of doing so. How many people in Iowa were sitting on thier roof tops waiving flags for HELP (as though in a 3rd world country)??? When you are on a roof, you can't drive to a nearby town and be ok. You couldn't even drive to Slidel from NO because that part of I10 was IN THE WATER LIKE LEGO BLOCKS!
People are talking about how folks were looting. If you entire house was underwater (FOOD AND EVERYTHING) , you are on a roof for DAYS. when the water starts to get low and u can finally see a store with food in it...what would you do?? Would you be a 'good citizen' and starve because you don't want to be seen on CNN breaking into a place? WHATEVER!
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