Rage

I'm in a slow-burning rage right now. Part of me can't believe that the government (federal, state and local) weren't prepared for this, can't believe that Guard units still haven't secured the city of New Orleans, can't believe that Americans are dying from dehydration and lack of medicine, can't believe any of this. But another part of me believes it, and isn't too surprised. After all, these are poor, black folks suffering. Looks like Africa, right? I know, deep in my soul, that if the Great Salt Lake flooded and Salt Lake City was in the shape of New Orleans, help would have arrived by now. You may say I'm playing the "race card", and you know what, I am. Because black folks have been fucked over by this country since day one. Slavery may just be something you read about in history books, but not to us. My Dad's father was born in 1871, 6 years after the Civil War ended. My great-grandparents were slaves. My parents had to march to get the right to vote, to be allowed to eat where they wanted to. I was born in 1968 - my wife and I couldn't have married each other the year I was born. Race and poverty are the pink elephants in the room, and no one wants to talk about it. We all think the entire country is white and middle class. No, it isn't. And the scenes from New Orleans are showing that to the nation.

And I don't give a damn that Bush is Republican. If he was a Democrat, I'd be raging against him. This is FUCKED UP!! The hurricane was Monday, damnit, and he's just now getting ready to go and view the damage? C'mon, man. Forget the politics, screw your advisors. Be a fuckin' human being. Help these people. Don't give bullshit press conferences. Open up some military bases, house these people in barracks. GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GET TO WORK!! Your the President of the United States, not President of the people who voted for you. Don't tell us bullshit about no one knew this would happen. We new for days a huge storm was gonna hit the Gulf Coast. Just fucking tell the truth. We weren't prepared, we fucked up, and we're going to do whatever it takes to fix this shit.

I don't cry. I just don't. Yet watching the news coming out of New Orleans, and Biloxi, tears are just streaming down my face.

This isn't supposed to happen here.