Where were the helicopters?
Cable TV and wire reports are pouring in about the heroic efforts to feed cattle and other livestock affected by the blizzards out West:
But it makes you wonder where the helicopters were during Katrina? Tens of thousands of people herded into the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center like cattle went days without food, water, or medical supplies. How hard would it have been to fly a few National Guard helicopters by to drop in some water, baby formula, and MREs?
Officials in the affected areas also say they are working frantically to restore power to thousands of people affected by the blizzards. Meanwhile, entire sections of New Orleans are still without power, water, schools or hospitals nearly a year and a half after Katrina.
But don’t blame the weather. Blame the residents of Colorado and the mid-west cattle ranchers for choosing to live and work where they might be affected by blizzards and for not being prepared. Maybe it’s time to discuss whether Denver ought to just be abandoned.
Hundreds of hay bales fell from the sky across Colorado's rangeland as military helicopter and cargo plane crews spent a second day Thursday delivering food to cattle that have been stranded by heavy snow and high drifts for a week.A noble effort to be sure. It’s hard not to feel sorry for cattle stranded and starving in the snow, even if their destiny is your next cheeseburger.
[..]The situation on the snowbound plains is getting dire. Typically, cattle can survive only five to 10 days without food or water in good conditions, state veterinarian John Maulsby said. For the cattle in eastern Colorado and on the Kansas and Nebraska plains, it has now been seven days since a blizzard dumped up to 3 feet of snow and whipped up 10-foot-high drifts.
"We think there are probably 30,000 head (of cattle) out there that are at risk that we're having to make sure we feed," said Maj. Gen. Mason Whitney of the Colorado Guard.
But it makes you wonder where the helicopters were during Katrina? Tens of thousands of people herded into the New Orleans Superdome and Convention Center like cattle went days without food, water, or medical supplies. How hard would it have been to fly a few National Guard helicopters by to drop in some water, baby formula, and MREs?
Officials in the affected areas also say they are working frantically to restore power to thousands of people affected by the blizzards. Meanwhile, entire sections of New Orleans are still without power, water, schools or hospitals nearly a year and a half after Katrina.
But don’t blame the weather. Blame the residents of Colorado and the mid-west cattle ranchers for choosing to live and work where they might be affected by blizzards and for not being prepared. Maybe it’s time to discuss whether Denver ought to just be abandoned.
12 Comments:
Almost a good point... but you left out the people 'in-charge' at the time of Katrina, who should have had a plan in place for a common/worst case scenario, like Colorado *based on news reports of restoring the City and way of life*.
"But don’t blame the weather. Blame the residents of Colorado and the mid-west..." – Colorado / affected areas seem to have a plan for this type of situation in place, hence the power is almost restored and they are feeding 30,000+/- head of cattle.
If Colorado can do it all: provide resources to both people and animals and quickly restore order/power, obviously they have the right people in the right places.
Don't make Colorado / mid-west / and even other organized states as the "bad guys" in the Katrina ordeal.
Sorry, I forgot the [sarcasm][/sarcasm] tags.
I see you don't know much about what happened at Katrina. Check this link (click on each picture and read the captions). http://www.afrc.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=339
Any quick Google will turn up dozens of stories about the extensive use of helicopters to rescue people after Katrina. I seem to recall that at one point there were more helicopters in the disaster area than there were in Iraq. They were doing yoeman duty saving hundreds if not thousands of lives.
You might also want to check out the stories that debunk much of what was reported a out the Superdome in New Orleans. Then check out the Red Cross report that Louisiana officials refused their attempts bring food to the people in the Superdome and ask yourself who really was to blame for what did happen.
This rant might satisfy some people desire to be outraged, but it has little to do with the facts.
Cattle are valuable.
You need to do a little research. Here are some pix:
http://www.afrc.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=339
My squadron flew several helo crews back and forth from the New Orleans region during the effort.
I don;t know where you were, or what you were obviously snorting, but you'd better check your facts again, because helicopters were all over the place after Katrina.
My best friend in the Cape Cod Coast Guard was already down and waiting in Georgia til Katrina passed, to fly as part of the round the clock efforts in the first hours after the hurricane hit.
You Lefties need to do something about your Bush Derangement, because now its REALLY making you look like complete JACKASSES, when you rewrite history like this
what kind of dimwitted post is this? There were helicopters within hours after katrina hit the gulf coast. Can you say Coast Guard?
They airlifted people to safety, they dropped supplies to fleeing people. They lifeflighted people to medical treatment.
If this is an indication of the mentality of the left, God help us.
are you freaking serious? the helicopters and their crews were out their non stop rescuing people during katrina. In fact the coast guard showed how relief efforts should be done, even as FEMA dropped the ball. get a grip an reality man.
Where were the helicopters during Katrina you ask? Why don't you pick up a copy of Rotor and Wing Magazine and see for yourself. There were Hundreds of Helicopters that Volunteered their services from New helicopters conducting roof rescues, Flight school helicopters, Tour Helicopters, Charter helicopters. Fuel was hard to come by but the mission was done. Why not fly in MRE's and supplies to the super-dome you ask? Were you not watching CNN when BlackHawk after Blackhawk landed at the super-dome to do just that? You are e reporter and your job is to gather facts before you write a story. Why not contact the Editor of Rotor and wing Magazine or Contact the Helicopter Association International www.rotor.com They will give you all the info you need as to where the Helicopters were during Katrina. They were everywhere BUT CNN had their cameras trained on the superdome.
It is the Cattle farmers fault for farming and raising cattle in Colorado. Are you nuts, Then Why did the people decide to live in a fishbowl 15 feet under sea level in the middle of swampland called New Orleans, Why Do Retired people move to Florida, Its there fault there roofs were blown off and FEMA stepped in during the hurricanes, Why does anyone live in California, With the wildfires, Dump with millions of gallons of water, Shake well(Earthquake) then you get Mudslides. Let me guess. Next you are going to say it was Morgan Stanley and companies like that that occupied the trade centers that two planes flew into them. You my friend are an Amateur in the Journalism world and a few other words I cannot say.
Well, here's a posterboy for Leftist stupidity.
Funny thing is that Colorado turned down most federal aid and banded together to "get thru the storm". The leftard nanny-state of New Orleans is waiting for everyone else to put their city back together and suckling the tax dollar teet in the process.
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For our new drive-by friends who haven't been following the blog:
http://southernstudies.org/facingsouth/2005/09/props-to-coast-guard.asp
Also, this post should have been clearer in referring to the evacuees at the Convention Center, who were left for nearly five days without any significant relief efforts until convoys finally rolled in, once it was "safe" and everything.
The point was the irony of the urgency to feed cattle v. the lack of urgency to help humans in distress. But I'm guessing you knew that already.
(By the way, I'm not a "reporter".)
Finally, the part about abandoning Denver was satire, but I'm guessing you knew that, too.
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