[Rhodes22-list] Jim White's response

[Jim White]

I guess I'm a little dense? Attention to what? I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but it certainly didn't take a natural disaster to wake me up. I just try and stay out of political bickering...it's generally nonproductive.
 
We're pretty well aware of what hurricanes (and other disasters) bring here on the coast of the Lone Star State. There but by the grace of God.
 
Back when I was a kid, Hurricane Beulah did us a number, flattened an already tortilla flat piece of real estate, and inundated us with floodwaters that lasted clear into the 1980's. We got brushed again this year...
 
I agree with you about politicians staying away...they're for the most part probably not good for much other than lying to us and living off of the government payroll.
 
For the most part, I think we're all doing as much as we can to help out, individually and personally. I view that effort with extreme pride, and see the complainers and do nothing folks for what they are.
 
Have I missed anything?
jw
 
 

ed kroposki <ekroposki at charter.net> wrote:
Jim:
Now we know it takes a disaster to get your attention. However, it
is probably better that most of the politicians stay away. They could
really screw things up on scene. Unfortunately the news media thinks that
they could help. 

Ed K
Greenville, SC, USA

-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Jim White
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2005 3:44 PM
To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Blame the Republicans, Deomcrats, you and I


I make it a rule not to usually chime in on this sort of thing, but I've
just heard so much of this kind of thing in the past few days that I felt
obligated too. So forgive my indulgence. 

Here in Texas we have hosted over 250,000 folks from NOLA.....At the risk of
starting a fiery hailstorm: How many has NY taken in? 

Texas can and will accommodate as many of the victims of this tragedy as
possible. It's in our nature. We'll do the best we can. And it is sort of
scary....we have a tenuous economic balance as it is, and crowding
multitudes of people into common areas invites all sorts of trouble (black,
white or otherwise...it's the human ANIMAL), but we're willing to take the
chance and risk it, try and provide some solutions, some hope and comfort
because they're AMERICANS who are hurting, and we're good neighbors. You'd
do it for us right?

I assume Herb (another Texan) is currently assisting with the rescue and
recovery effort, as are many from here. That too is in our nature. Please
list for me politicians or partisans on both sides of the coin (I know BIll
Frist is one), who are overe there rolling up their sleeves and helping out.
Where is Ted Kennedy, Barney Frank or Hillary Clinton? Where is Newt
Gingrich, John Cornyn or Kay Bailey Hutchinson (the latter two, Republicans
from Texas)? When you start counting on politicains and administrations to
"help out", you might as well pee into the wind. 

Our tiny City of Port Isabel (population 2500) has a number of displaced
families, with five kids (as of last Friday) already enrolled in the local
high school, (which has a graduating class of under 100), I'm sure we'll
probably see more. They're welcome here.

The devistation from that hurricane was unprecidented, and certainly there
were failures at all levels and with all political persuasions, that's to be
expected. We all gave them license to behave badly in Washington, our State
Capitols and local governing bodies, did you research your candidates (every
one of them) record each time you voted, or did you just vote for your
party? Maybe it's time for a total housecleaning, both sides of the isle?
Maybe this thing is showing us how much of a failure both sides are, and
like Brad says, maybe we ought to be Boy Scout prepared....

This isn't about racial inequality or any such crap and you know it.
Politicizing this situation exacerbates the agony, heartbreak and
frustration we all feel. It's not about an administration....it's about a
country, and dammit we need to work together to try and solve this mess.
jw 



And now this news from Barbara Bush:

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in 
Texas. Everyone is so overwhelmed by the hospitality and so many of the 
people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, so this 
is working very well for them."

Bill Effros





Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com

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Jim White
Le Menagerie
www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com
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