Tennessean

09/05/05

Amid the chaos and sweltering heat of the New Orleans Superdome, exhausted survivors of Hurricane Katrina pleaded for help that was slow to come. Hungry, thirsty and desperate for relief, they wondered why their government had led them to shelter, and then abandoned them without basics such as enough food or water. As each day passed, the news media images of desperation fueled the anger U.S. residents directed at the government for failing to keep people in the region safe. 'It looks like everybody's going to have to fend for themselves at this point,' said Jamie Lawhon, 28, of Huntington, W.Va. 'The government has definitely lost some trust.' Sylvia Contreras agrees. 'People I know have never really trusted the government,' said Contreras, 48, of San Jose, Calif. 'This tells them they were right.'" [editor's note: Dare we find a long-term "silver lining" in all of this? Could the realization that "Big Brother cannot save us" be far behind? - SAT]

http://tinyurl.com/9amc5


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp