It's back....again...I don't know quite what it is that made me bring this thing back, but I do know what I plan to write about in this entry. I was reading a bit of news on yahoo about Florida and Hurricane Wilma.
The first thing that I did notice was that Jeb Bush made a statement that made me think twice about him... "Don't blame FEMA. This is our responsibility". That was quite refreshing. A stark contrast to the Katrina blame game situation.
In another statement, the governor said something that some might say is placing blame, but I wholeheartedly agreed with. "People had ample time to prepare. It isn't that hard to get 72 hours worth of food and water...". Thank you, thank you, Amen.
Another quote from a Florida resident made it quite clear to me that were blame to be placed, some may fall upon the state, but people ought to be held responsible for their own misappropriations...
"This is like the Third World," said Claudia Shaw, who spent several hours in a gas line. "We live in a state where we suffer from these storms every year. Where is the planning?".
Yes, Ms. Shaw. Where is the planning? It seems to me if you were waiting in line for gas, you didn't have your vehicle full of gasoline before the hurricane hit. With the likelihood of a hurricane hitting Florida each year, by now one would think that the average individual would plan for these situations. I don't know what the expiration date on canned food is when it leaves the factory, but the cans of soup in my cabinet don't expire until May of 2007. I would think that setting aside a weeks worth of canned food and water would not be to much of a strain for people...especially if it was done weeks or even months before hurricane season begins.
Additionally, I SEVERELY doubt that Ms. Shaw's experience was that akin to any third world country. While the response to Wilma may not have been close to great, I can say with confidence that if you lived in a third-world country, chances are you wouldn't own a car to put gas in and you might actually know what it is to suffer.
My point? If you can't take a slice of personal responsibility when you know this can likely happen on a yearly basis, you should do the following: Move to a state that is not the lowest height above sea level and pounded by hurricanes annually. | 
