After the Levees Broke
On August 30, 2005, the nation seemed to go into slow motion following hurricane Katrina’s widespread destruction. The day before, levees broke in New Orleans. While mere mortal citizens fled for their life or drowned, assistance seemed to limited to moving US Navy ships into the area with the caveat that these things take time. While human beings fled to the Superdome per directions of civic leaders, the scope of the devastation was going completely over the heads of government officials, both state and federal. Outside of those in the area of destruction, no one seemed to get the picture.
In the morning of August 30, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco appeared on the CBS morning show and perkily announced that she had declared August 31 to be a day of prayer in Louisiana. For some reason, others were more interested in the consequences of the storm and flooding, a result of what is often called an “Act of God.”
I’m sure many were already praying without an official day set aside. Some of those trapped in their homes and attics were quickly running out of space. Even with prayer, the water kept rising and the entreaties went nowhere.
The Governor’s press release on prayer, contained instructions on what to pray for:Ã¥ the safety of rescue workers and victims; patience for those concerned about the victims. The latter was the real need given the non-action of the state and federal officials. But, any prayers for patience didn’t last long enough for those baking in the Superdome or camped outside. Nor, for those running out of water, food, and medication.
While the press release called for all residents of Louisiana to take “some time” to pray, Texas television station KWTX stated that Governor Blanco had called upon all the citizens of Louisiana to spend the entire day in prayer. Apparently, praying would be more effective that rescuing; or eating; or drowning.
Despite the day of Prayer, President Bush flew over the flood zone and other areas damaged by hurricane Katrina. He was returning from vacation at his Texas ranch and took a slight detour to see what was happening. From his half-mile high vantage point, the President accepted the fact that devastation had taken place. In fact, “doubly devastating” to those who were in the midst of the real thing.
While the mayor of New Orleans complained bitterly about the response, the Governor and the President were engaged in a turf war which delayed matters. Blanco decided to turn down the President’s request to place state national guard under federal leadership for dealing with Katrina and the flooding.
In spite of the “double devastation,” the White House staff didn’t pay much attention to the unfolding suffering until the clamor became loud enough and disgust with the President’s reaction provoked a response. He visited the area himself, several times, and was filmed conversing with some victims. He sent the Secretary of State and the Secretary of War to the region. The Secretaries of Health, Commerce, and Interior were noticeably absent. Vice-President Cheney visited the area several times. He could not growl and bully the effects of the storm and flood away. I’m surprised that he did not try the political panacea of prayer, the fallback position of the incompetent.
Finally, the President proclaimed his own national day of prayer on September 16, 2005. “We offer thanks to God for the goodness and generosity of so many Americans who have come together to provide relief and bring hope to fellow citizens in need. Our Nation is united in compassion for the victims and in resolve to overcome the tremendous loss that has come to America. We will strive together in this effort, and we will prevail through perseverance and prayer.”
What is not clear to me is how prayer after an Act of God like a storm or other natural disaster is any benefit. The fact that people helped others (or ignored others) is in itself a natural phenomenon that occurred before any effort by President Bush or any national prayer proclamation.
The Governor asked for prayers for stamina in rebuilding. And patience for the yet to be rescued. The ones who drowned or died from poor health or lack of basics were beyond patience and deserved no mention in the prayers. The president had no words in his prayer for those who sweltered in the cesspool Superdome or spent foodless nights on or under bridges.
His call for prayer was to ask for rebuilding. It had no place for those who had nothing to return to. The poor who got by until the disaster took what they had and no amount of praying would bring that back. Only help from mere mortals would be their salvation.
Perhaps the President privately prayed for more Acts of God to move the national attention to a different spot on the landscape and away from his myopic behaviors. If so, his prayers were answered with yet another storm. Then his observation of double devastation was moved to the dusty archives. His desire for and management of the invasion on of Iraq could be obscured by yet another storm.
Peering through an airplane window and observing the smallness of those below is a way of observing that allows a distance from people suffering. Peering at Iraq from the distance of the Washington DC and the Crawford ranch gives a great distance from the suffering there. Rather than announcing a national day of prayer, a day of personal self inventory would be appropriate. We could all use some of that.
There are other issues that arise about politicos publicly claiming godliness. If God is a supernatural being, both omnipotent and omniscient, how can any human claim to know what God wants or is thinking or planning? I cannot trust anyone who makes such a claim. If God does indeed (micro-)manage events as many claim, then what happens to free will and personal responsibility? And how is it that people claim they know why God does this or that, yet for the tough questions, suddenly only God knows?
These prayer days that have become so popular obscure the real issues. In the case of the flooding, this was the lack of preparation and bizarre lack of response by state and federal officials. The ludicrous claim by the Texas television station that all citizens of Louisiana were expected to spend an entire day praying rather than rescuing shows how thoughtless people become when the ploy is announced. The reality is that politicians who call for prayer to cover up their own shortcomings are preying upon those they claim to protect.
by Brian McCorkle
in category Rants
