Oh my, look what we have done...

[Debau2005]

I am speechless (again), and heartbroken. NBC News ended with a video of Katrina pictures. I can't help feel guilt for what we, as a nation, have done. We all share some of the guilt for allowing the Katrina tragedy to happen.

I am one of those tree-hugging liberals, who feels the pain and tragedy of everything as deeply as if it happened to me or my family. I bear as much guilt as anyone. And in the end I feel guilty that I did not do enough to help when the storm was over and the people needed help.

*sigh*

:cry:

[MichiganVote]

1. Yeah well you know I watched that too and I didn't see one Bible thumper,

or one member of the government, military or local police offering aid in any part of the picture montage. Moreover, the pic's didn't show the recovery teams looking for bodies.

[BeHereNow]

4. Don't worry, you will have plenty of opportunity later

By the time the BFEE is through with this country
your neighbors and the entire country will be in the same
catastrophic condition as New Orleans.
Sorry, but that is what I see coming down the pike
for America- complete devastation-
Economically, socially and at every level
of our existence as we have come to know it.
And the worst part?
Many Americans actually voted for it.
They were deceived, yes.
Ignorant, sadly so.
But ultimately, they are responsible for
their own demise and the day of reckoning
IS coming.
BHN

[MichiganVote]

12. Already happenin'. Corruption=gov't $ embezzlement=delays in service=

deterioration / infrastructure= reduced and eliminated services= rise in criminal acts= reduced effectiveness of police= vigilantism= societal breakdown.

[Journeyman]

2. No matter how much any of us did, it wouldn't be enough. . .

and in some ways (odd as this may sound) there was too much done by some.

My wife made a quilt to send to Katrina survivors but it was returned to her -- the group that organized the drive had to return a lot of quilts, since there was such a tremendous response they ran out of room in the trucks they used to deliver them. Of course, there were other ways to send the quilt (and other aid), but the extent of this response was quite uplifting.

[MsKandice01]

3. I know what you mean...

That week after the hurricane hit was one of the hardest weeks of my life. It was so heartbreaking to watch, yet I felt so helpless because I wanted to help those people so bad but there was nothing I could do but just watch the suffering. Donating all the money in the world wasnt going to get those people food and water fast enough because no one was there to give it to them. Even now, looking at the pictures from those days makes me want to cry.

[Debau2005]

7. Thanks!

It is nice to know that I am not the only one.

After the storm, I volunteered at the Salvation Army, and when I was home, I could not stop watching the coverage. I am still drawn to the pictures on the internet and on television.

Sometimes I am a little envious of all those people that can watch tragedies unfold and feel nothing. I had someone tell me that I was wasting my time feeling for the people of Pakistan after the earthquake. He said, "those people are lesser humans and can do without our help." I have not spoken to him since. It must be nice to be able to live life without any empathy or feelings of helplessness for others!

[Greyhound]

5. There's still much needed check out some of these

http://www.hsus.org/disaster_center.html
http://www.neworleansonline.com/rebirth/index.html
http://www.jazzfoundation.org/new_orleans.php
http://www.habitat.org/disaster/2005/katrina/

There's a start

[pitohui]

6. the storm is over and people STILL need help

instead of sitting around feeling guilty, you could actually, i don't know, do something

there is great need here and really no time to sit around head in hands

as far as this what "we" have done, i didn't do anything, we "all" don't share the guilt, god shares the guilt, fema shares the guilt, bushco shares the guilt, but i have nothing to feel guilty for, i took care of myself and my family and when i was able to return, i housed an evacuee to boot

and many people have done much, much more

so there is no such thing as "we all share some of the guilt," if you have reason to feel guilty, do something useful with yourself instead of spreading guilt and misery to others

there is no such thing as collective guilt, all it does is irritate people, which i doubt is your intent

[Debau2005]

8. I have

volunteered at the Salvation Army since the storm, we are still working with those in need. So, I am not sitting around doing nothing. My family was in the hurricane zone, but was spared little damage. I have made several trips to the Gulf Coast with supplies for their neighbors.

At the same time I doing work with the homeless, as I always have. So please allow me my guilt. And it is my personal opinion that as a nation, we are collectively guilty of allowing this tragedy to happen. So please flame away...

And don't worry my guilt extends far from Katrina. I have felt guilty enough for the lack of action of this nation for the people of Africa, that I made medical trips with different groups over the last few years to assist with various diseases and famine.

[madokie]

9. Thanks for coming here and sharing with us

It's like it was planned, I know the storm was natural but the response sure as hell wasn't. I feel it too.

[Debau2005]

10. Where did you get

the Bush Swastika? That is quite effective.

[madokie]

11. I seen it somewhere and liked it so I saved it. I sure hope thats

not improper

[pitohui]

13. guilt is unhealthy, it sounds like you are doing PLENTY, y b guilty?

it sounds like you do more than yr share, so stop feeling guilty, let those who have done wrong have the guilt

there is no reason good people should sap their own energy like this

and thank you for your efforts!