It is disgraceful that countless people are still stranded five days after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf coastline, flattening communities and knocking a major metropolis on its ear.

It is disgraceful that hundreds of state troopers and National Guard soldiers have been deployed to protect property rather than help people.

It is disgraceful that thousands of hurricane refugees — including the elderly, the infirm, the sick, mothers with babes in arms, children separated from parents — have been essentially abandoned in the Superdome and the convention centre, left to fend for themselves without food or water.

It is disgraceful that not a single relief agency has any presence on the ground as far as those of us who are here can see. No Red Cross, no federal emergency administrators, no medical teams, no shelter officials, no angels of mercy.

– Tales of woe shame a nation Rosie Dimanno

I was reading a couple of newspapers and their take on this situation and surprisingly The Toronto Star was one of the very few ones which actually said it as it was. The rest seem to completely ignore the horrific manner in which this disaster was handled. Strangly enough I recall the Tsunami was handled much more efficiently even though it was in a relatively developing section of the world. Its absolutely heartwrenching to read some of the stories these people have to tell. Although I won’t go as far to say its because New Orleans is an African American majority, I do feel economics played a major part. Same thing happening in California or New York would have generated a far more substantial response. Ok will stop rant now. Quite horrified at the current disregard for human life.