New York City after 9/11. American self sufficiency's finest hour. Everyday folk poured into the World Trade Center neighborhood and created an improvised city within a city. Food services, first aid stations, supply stations, massage units and rest stations appeared for personnel working 12-14 hour days, all done without government help.
Pennsylvania steel workers with the expertise to safety dismantle the remaining, dangerous structures just showed up. People from all walks of life put their lives on hold and headed to lower Manhattan to tremendous, positive effect. Across the country Americans lined up at blood banks. Charitable coffers swelled with donations.
This stellar example of how well Americans could deal with trauma and disaster empowered us as individuals and was good for the country. Apparently it did not sit so well with society's established institutions. Can anyone forget President Bush's suggestion that if people REALLY wanted to help, they should go SHOPPING?
When Katrina struck New Orleans, volunteer doctors, nurses, certified emergency personnel and rescue workers were firmly turned back or hand-tied by bureaucratic red tape that amounted to obstruction. Attempts, not always successful, were made to discourage "unauthorized" independent boat operators from rescue operations. It wasn't until the military arrived under the command of a harsh-spoken, no bull-shit Lieutenant General named Honore that conditions began to improve in the City.
In the disaster's aftermath, rescue and reconstruction was taken out of the hands of the people and placed securely in the hands of huge charities, bloated bureaucratic agencies and lumbering, turf-protective officialdom. The results were not good for America, impeded recovery and effectively put "can do" Americans in their place.
Our corporate and government institutions want the American citizenry dumb, docile and dependent. Are we going to let them get away with it? Or has Brave New World finally and irrevocably arrived?
Hmmm. Maybe the recent Supreme Court decision on the individual right to bear arms makes sense after all.
How does "Liberal and packing" sound?
Here's what I think...
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You make some good points. However, when it came to help here in Boston during the aftermath of the Marathon bombing, there was literally no time to differentiate who was "qualified" or "authorized" to help, and who was not. Bystanders were drafted to create tourniquets, helped carry the injured to local hospitals, and took complete strangers into their homes to feed them and offer lodging. I know 9/11, and Katrina were disasters on a much larger scale, but have not heard that people were turned away from helping in Moore. Reconstruction there will be a lengthy process. I imagine many local folks will be taking part in accomplishong that goal.
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