At different junctures over the past 24 hours, we've heard that:
- The National Guard pulled out of the NO Convention Center because of concerns for their safety
- FEMA pulled out of its boat rescue operations because of concerns for their safety
- Helicopter rescues, human deliveries, and food and water drops were pulled back because of concerns for their safety
(More below)
And no one--
no one--is denying that there are still thousands of people stranded in houses, attics, hotels, and the
Convention Center.
I just have one question: How many rescuers could potentially die vs. how many flood victims will predictably die, per hour, as the (non)rescue mission drags on?
I don't want to hear about how many more troops or Guard or police are promised tomorrow. They were promised last Monday, and their hands have been tied behind their backs. Some of them have been sitting on the tarmac at Fort Rucker, with no orders.
Tell me how these numbers, these real numbers and real gambles with human lives, make sense.
Strange fruit.
Blood at the root.