The response time by the Federal Government for this devastating human tragedy was utterly inexcusable as mostly Black grandmothers, Black grandfathers, Black sons, daughters and babies died by the hundreds, as the United States government refused to send in the critically needed supplies and security via the National Guard, which resulted in countless people living in areas surrounded by sewage, human waste, and dying bodies decomposing on a daily a basis.

Too make bad matters worse, the media began using the phraseology refugees to describe thousands of displaced Americans. Even though the word refugee is defined as People who leave their homes—and often their countries—because of war, famine, or natural disasters (i.e., flood, hurricane, drought), and live for a long time in makeshift communities that lack basic sanitation, such as running water and toilets. These are American citizens, and at the very least deserve to be addressed as such, considering that their very lives were turned upside down by this cataclysmic event.

Many citizens of the Gulf Coast region were found drown in their own homes by the flooding waters. Media reports indicated that at the New Orleans Super Dome, which housed mostly African Americans that were displaced by this horrific event – that there were likewise countless corpses decomposing in the corners of the stadium; while State and Federal Officials left them there for days as disease increased due to these human carcasses scattered about. In essence, American citizens were left to live like animals for days at a time, with the federal government being non-existent in a critically needed response.

Some of the repeated excuses being echoed across the media were claims that areas such as New Orleans were to hostile, or uncontrolled to enter and dispense aide.

However, America has recently embarked upon a three hundred billion dollar experiment in Iraq at the courtesy of American taxpaying citizens to invade a country with a situation extremely more hostile than any American city. In essence, the lack of response to this national cataclysmic event was nothing short of America’s blatant fear of going into Black neighborhoods without substantial firepower, be it police or military. In addition, to the blatant disregard for the lives of those who suffered, and died.

Within two days after the devastating Tsunami in Southeast Asia, food, water and vital relief efforts were delivered and disbursed to the people of that region. The question that remains is; Why such a slow and downright absent response for the poverty-stricken people of New Orleans, Could it be because a disproportionate amount of them are Black?

As I continued to watch this outpour of human anguish with apparently no Federal aide or assistance in sight, CNN Anchor, Jack Cafferty spoke the very words that my mind produced as he uttered them. He stated, that most of the media were doing their best to ignore the fact that a great percentage (probably 98%) of those left in this extremely perilous position are Black folks.

This overwhelming event in human suffering coupled with the brazen disregard for human life by the Federal Government, categorically conveys the hearts and minds of those in charge within the United States, and what their true feelings are toward the poverty stricken, and disenfranchised African Americans nation wide.

In fact, it was not until Friday, September 02, 2005 some four days after the fact that President George W. Bush decided to visit the devastated area. As a Commander Chief of a sovereign nation, President Bush should have flown to the devastated area within 24 hours of this horrific event to reflect his commitment to the citizens of his own nation, and immediately announced a plan of execution along with FEMA coupled with state and federal officials.

President Bush has repeatedly masked over a tremendous amount of blunders and down right lies while in office. However, as citizens of this nation, it is imperative that we hold him and his Administration accountable for this egregious failure in response for the very lives of those who died. How many times does the trumpet of injustice have to sound before we band together, and emphatically state, “Never Again”!