Waiting on the rooftop....

Last year I read Bill O'Reilly's book A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. Mostly, it's an autobiography. It's pretty funny--I laughed out loud a lot. He reminds me of Tom Sawyer. One lesson he learned growing up was the value of work and self reliance and to help illustrate it he offered a recap of Hurricane Katrina.

He describes the awful aftermath of Katrina. People were left without resources--food, water, utilities, bathroom facilities--and many were left stranded on overpasses and rooftops for days waiting for help. He agrees that neither the government of New Orleans or Louisiana was prepared--they should have been the FIRST branch of gov't to have an emergency plan in case of a hurricane. He also agrees that the federal government was not prepared for such a catastrophe and was slow in reacting. But most of the victims did not have a personal plan in case of evacuation due to a hurricane.

The mainstream media and of course hollywood (the mainstream media's BFF) claimed it was because of race--'no one cares for the black people'. Through research and interviews with victims, O'Reilly finds out most of the victims were poor and didn't have money for a trip and a hotel. This is where O'Reilly inserts is lesson;

"New Orleans is not about race; it's about class. If your're poor, you're powerless, not only in America but also everywhere on earth. If you don't have enough money to protect yourself from danger, danger is going to find you. And all the political gibberish in the world is not going to change that.
The aftermath of Hurrican Katrina should be taught in every American school. If you don't get educated, if you don't develop a skill and force yourself to work hard, you'll most likely be poor. And sooner or later, you'll be standing on a symbolic rooftop waiting for help.
Chances are that help will not be quick in coming."

I totally agree with his opinion. As harsh as it is--it's true. I've learned this in my own life.

This past winter we saw several big snowstorms--nothing debilitating--but we certainly had alot of snow to shovel. The condo association we are part of pays a company to shovel our snow for us--of course, other people are paying the same company for the same service. I have noticed in the time I've lived here that the bigger the storm, the longer it takes for them to get to our house and clear our walks and driveway. It usually takes 24 full hours for them to get to us. In the meantime, we are trompin' snow all over our house, our cars are snowed in, and overnight the snow freezes and then you can't clear it away very easily at all. So we don't wait around at our house--we dig out our own car then clear our walkway and put ice melt on it. (When the service finally shows up and starts on the other walkways--they scrape off what they can and a then throw sand on it for traction. I hate that sand! It tracks through the house like crazy!!) You should see the difference in how our walkway looks compared to the people who wait for the service--ours is always cleaner and safer! The fact is, we care more about our family, our safety, our convenience, and our walkway than any service does. We do a better job of providing for ourselves because we have an immediate interest in our well being.

My point is this; I don't know who's driveway gets shoveled first when the snow falls but I know it isn't ours. And the longer we wait around for that service the more of an inconvenience it is for us.

Here is another point--we live in a very affluent community. They are probably shoveling the big mansions first--because that's where the money is!!!! The wealthy probably give them tips--and if I was getting tips that's where I'd go first. Money is power and clout because everybody needs and wants it!!!! That's human reality and that will never change! And most people who have money have worked for it--they deserve it.

What's that you say? The government could and should regulate this inequality and make it fair? Why should the amount of money I have dictate how many breaks I get? Well, geez I don't know-maybe as incentive to work hard and earn money?

Can anyone really believe that the government will take a personal interest in me and my little town house and set up regulations to ensure that we all get taken care of at the same time with the same quality? (I've never heard of a program like this ever being proposed, but, I've heard of plenty that operate under the same delusional principle). It's impossible to take care of many people all at once in any quality way--someone will end up last--and the quality will still stink. In airplanes they tell you that in case of emergency, put on your own oxygen mask first and then help your neighbor because you are no help to anyone if you can't breathe. Should we make putting on our oxygen masks part of the stewardess' job description? Remember--you'll be waiting in line (hope it doesn't take as long as that snack cart). We should not rely on the government for any more than we absolutely have to--and that isn't much. This is one reason why our founders included the right to bear arms in the Constitution--they didn't even trust the government to protect us from our enemies all the time!

With all of 'its' good intentions, the government cannot possibly provide for large amounts of people with the same quality that the people could provide themselves individually and "all the political gibberish in the world is not going to change that."

Like O'Reilly said--anyone who isn't willing to work hard and gain skills will sooner or later find themselves sitting on that symbolic rooftop crying for help that isn't coming fast enough.