Another reason to hate George Bush!

[Padraig18]

The small town of Utica, IL was essentially destroyed last night by a probable F4 tornado. Because the state has been virtually stripped bare of the National Guard units who would ordinarily respond to such a disaster, the only effective help for Utica is coming from counties and municipalities in northern and central Illinois, and from the Red Cross.

Remember to add this to the list of 'crimes against humanity' committed by George Bush, when he is finally indicted at The Hague. The people of Illinois will!

:grr:



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x1039137

[HFishbine]

1. Padraig

Me likey your avatar!

[Padraig18]

2. Thanks!

:)

[Walt Starr]

3. Yep, George W. Bush has worsened all disasters because

he just HAD TO HAVE his disaster in Iraq.

[Padraig18]

4. Then remember this one, and all of the ones like it!

Hold him responsible! :grr:

[Liberal-4-Life]

6. Amen

You're right about Iraq and Bush should just learn to leave well enough alone.

[newyawker99]

25. Hi Liberal-4-Life!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[catmandu57]

5. If we have a natural disaster

on the scale of the "93" flood, or a major tornado outbreak, or god forbid a major earthquake in so. cal, we're fucked.

[Padraig18]

7. Yes, we are.

:grr:

[buddy22600]

8. come on, i lived through the major flood of '93

and it wasn't that bad, yes some levee's broke but most of the major damage was done by people who deliberately destroyed the levees. BTW how is the tornado's destruction made worse because the national guard isn't there?

[Padraig18]

9. Because they can't HELP, that's why.

They have medical units, MP units, field kitchens and people to help in rescue and recovery, as well as debris removal. Surely you knew that not every National Guard unit is a rifle company, didn't you?

[truthspeaker]

10. National Guard traditionally help with disaster recovery

The destruction isn't any worse, but the recovery will be hampered.

[Padraig18]

11. Bingo!

Spot on! The suffering will go on longer.:thumbsup:

[buddy22600]

13. Ok, i can grant you

that the suffering might be elongated, but the destruction is not worse.

[Padraig18]

14. No one said it was.

I certainly never did. :shrug:

[truthspeaker]

16. who said it was? Nice strawman

[hamerfan]

12. I did too...

Lived in Missouri during the Flood of '93. First off, NO levees were vandalized because people couldn't get to them, it was FLOODED! What are you talking about?

[buddy22600]

17. Go back and research it

if both sides of the levees were flooded, then I guess St. Louis, just got up and floated away to come back after the water receeded

[tabasco]

15. Interesting logic. What kind is it?

It's ok that the Guard is not here to help with disaster recovery because:
1. The previous disaster was not that bad and was partially man-made.
2. The Guard did not prevent the disaster's occurence.

I need some further explanation of your position.

[buddy22600]

18. The national guard not being there did not make the disaster

worse. Yes, in many cases the national guard is called on to play second fiddle to disaster agencies, both federal, state, and local. But that is not their primary or secondary responsibilities. in order to lessen the destruction, what were they supposed to do. Line up and try and be a shield to the wind? use their tanks to shoot at it. Throw medical supplies at it. Throw food at it? The red cross, Fema, and other agencies are tasked with disaster relief. Plain and simple.

[benburch]

20. Second fiddle?

You dishonor the sacrifice these people make!

And you are woefully misinformed about their usefulness in a disaster. Without the Guard, the Mississippi River floods a few years ago would have been much, much worse. The Guard coordinated sandbagging efforts, provided materials transport, personnel to the sandbagging crews, MPs to guard against looters, and medics to treat the injured.

[tabasco]

22. Really?? You might want to check the mission statement ..

of the Army National Guard:

"Maintain properly trained and equipped units available for prompt mobilization for war, national emergency, or as otherwise directed."

You are being absurd when you "argue" that the Guard did not cause the emergency. Nobody claimed they did. Why don't you try debating the point rather than obfuscating? The point is - Bush has our military resources decisively engaged in a needless war. When another need arises, we're SOL !

[Padraig18]

24. No one said they could 'lessen the destruction'.

IEMA (IL Emergency Management Agency) is a SMALL agency--- a PLANNING agency--- and their plans for natural disasters depend HEAVILY on National Guard troops. FEMA doesn't maintain the literally hundreds (or thousands) of people neccessary to deal with a natural disaster of this magnitude.

The point, my friend, is that George Bush's illegal and unneccessary war has stripped this state of Guard units, and hasn't made a damned DIME available to emergency-relief agencies to pick up the slack.

:grr:

[Mel]

19. you don't realize

what the National Guard does for us when we suffer a disaster?
Here's one example (NC my home state) if it had not been for our National Guard people very well could of lost their lives!

http://www.cnn.com/WEATHER/9909/17/floyd.floods.01/#1
North Carolina: Helicopter rescues
In eastern North Carolina, National Guard helicopters were used to rescue some of the hundreds of stranded people scattered throughout 11 counties.

"We have 1,500 residents waiting to be rescued from rooftops," said state emergency management spokesman Tom Ditt.</snip>

[Blue Gardener]

28. I lived through it too

And it sucked. As I recall, National Guard helped with the constant sand-bagging that was needed and took some of the burden from the small towns. People were working around the clock to keep the water from overtaking their homes. Most of the damage was not done by people who broke the levees. I don't know where you were in '93, but your memory is obviously flawed.

[liberalitch]

21. Hurricane Isabel...

i live in Hampton Roads....
In the past when we have had our RARE natural "disaster" the US Navy has been here to help out in the aftermath.... most ships leave port to protect themselves and the piers. They help with traffic direction.... I've even seen some cutting up trees!
We were devastated by Isabel and because so many sailors are over in the Gulf.... they were not here to help..... they were missed.

[mmonk]

23. Yeah, we're pretty strapped

all around. We're much more vulnerable to disasters as well as attacks.

[jbm]

26. for many towns it's not just the national guard that is missing...

I read an article a few months ago that said that several towns would not have tornado sirens this year because they had no money to replace the ones that no longer functioned. I couldn't find the article back,but if I'm remembering correctly,it said that in the past there were federal and state grants to help towns that couldn't afford to buy the sirens. Apparently,those grants no longer exist.

[Padraig18]

27. Not just that.

Many towns and counties are also short-handed for policemen, firemen and deputies, because many of them are in the National Guard, too.