Sunday Morning Blog

September 06, 2005

Using Tragedy for Politics

These comments were made in response to the following article: An Open Letter From Cape Cod to the President

Your post would have been more appropriately titled, “Ignorant of the Real Problems, a Letter From Left Field.” I think you will be surprised at the backlash that will result from the politicizing of this catastrophe. Untold in your Presidential popularity polls is the anger many of us harbor toward the “blame America and the government first” crowd. These are the same people who blamed September eleventh on America and our government. Now, they have jumped on this tragedy in another attempt to encourage confrontation at a time when we should most be focused on cooperation.

This storm's destruction is unlike any we have ever seen. What purpose is there in laying blame or pointing fingers? Would the response have been different under a different administration at a different time? I think not! There was nothing political about this storm or its results. Disasters like this must be reacted to on a situational basis, and one would have to agree this is an extreme situation. Have there been errors and oversights? There certainly have, but the lack of preparedness and levy improvement monies are a matter of our priorities being screwed up as a country, not a reflection on our current administration.

You people say that you just want the President held accountable. Unfortunately, your anger is misdirected. The only indictment here should be on you and I. We have allowed our representatives (on both sides of the aisle) to become so embroiled in this petty partisan cold war, that little of importance to the American people can be accomplished. We have elected officials so concerned about special interests, bringing home the bacon in pork barrel spending, and how to finance their next campaign, that we have all been “thrown under the bus.” Priority number one should be protecting the American public from disaster, disease, crime and terrorism (foreign and domestic). Where have our priorities been? At least Bush has stayed true in the war on terrorism, but what of the other issues I mentioned and additional crises of important to us? Much of the monies that might be put to use in the remainder of these is squandered away on feel-good programs that accomplish little but creating more dependence on a government monster grown too big to handle. Pork barrel spending and a bureaucracy run-wild suck the coffers dry. The two sides are too divided and self-serving to work together at much of anything... unless it benefits them.

I have yet to see another party take up the challenge and unify behind a true message of progress. Were there some party of compromise, willing to tackle the issues based on public desire rather than their own personal crusades, they would garner my support. For now, however, my lifelong status as an Independent remains, and my support goes to the party that seems most concerned with protecting our lives and liberties. All of my concerns are secondary to the belief that America is great and should be protected at all cost.

We are all horrified at this disaster and its aftermath, but this does not blind us from the disgust that we feel toward people spinning this into a political attack. An honest analysis would tell us that the President is doing everything in his power to help the people affected by this storm. To suggest otherwise reeks of the worst kind of muck raking. Your popularity polls will not be with us in the voting booth when we are remembering this disgusting use of peoples' trauma as political ammunition.

Posted by capecodcyclist at September 6, 2005 09:49 PM