There have been a number of diaries and comments posted here in the past couple days that do two things that raise the blood pressure of New Orleanians and other Gulf Coast residents as we prepare for a possible hurricane hit.
First, diarists and commenters have suggested, often gleefully, that Gustav's timing--right during the Republican convention (and just after evangelicals prayed for rain on Obama tonight)--is "ironic," "poetic justice," "proof that there is a God," or at least politically profitable for Democrats.
Second, some diarists and commenters have made assertive forecasts about where it "will" hit.
To the first, I say that it is not ironic to have a hurricane destroy New Orleans a second time. Irony would be the Republican convention getting shut down due to a huge rainstorm in the Twin Cities and a leaky roof in their convention center. Poetic justice would be a giant hail storm that hits a particular ranch in Crawford, TX, during McCain's birthday party. A second huge hurricane hitting New Orleans is potentially catastrophic for its poorest residents and for the city as a whole--far more so than it is for the Republicans. We are nervous, we are not ready, we are afraid we will lose our city. To even talk about the political benefits or your karmic satisfaction in relation to it is really really bad form. Please stop. It makes us feel as though you think we are expendable. And when you say that this is a joke from God, well, you are claiming that God regards New Orleans as expendable. I know you don't think that, but that is the implicit message. It is offensive, and it contributes to the feeling many of us have down here that New Orleans is written off by the rest of the nation.
To the second, I know the forecast imagery shows New Orleans (or just west of NOLA now) as the target, but it is way too soon to know where it will hit. I encourage those interested in following it to track it at nola.com or from some other local source. I appreciate the well-informed diaries about its trajectory and forecasts, and I have also appreciated the diaries with information about preparation and evacuation. Keep those coming.