"Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility - that's the essence of America promise."
-- Barack Obama, 8/28/2008
As Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Gulf Coast, most can't help but recall the still painful memories
of Katrina. Memories and lessons.
For years (even to this day), Republicans like to talk of the "lessons of 9/11", whether so-and-so learned them or not. This diary is about one lesson I, at least, learned from Hurricane Katrina.
Like with many others, I'm sure, Gustav is bringing back a mix of emotions from 3 years ago. My rage at the seeming indifference, incompetence, criminal callousness and blatant racism, still lingers, as does the memory of the urgency and desperateness of the plea on nearly all of our lips: "why doesn't somebody, anybody, do something?!!" As these emotions wash over me again, the waves have also washed something else ashore... a message I'd put in a bottle to be reopened, well, now.
The "message" was actually a very powerful diary I'd bookmarked, written on Sept. 3, 2005 by internik, entitled "I Am More Angry Than I Have Ever Been In My Life and It Is A Righteous and Purposeful Indignation". If you weren't here then, or don't remember it, please, go read it now.
The reason I remember it is not just because of the eloquence of its expression of the anger I at the time shared, but rather because of its blunt articulation of the deep flaws in the (so-called) "Conservative" world-view, and a simple, yet profound articulation of what I believe is at the core of my proud liberalism. Here's a relevant excerpt from the end:
This disaster is the direct result and culmination of 30 years of conservative anti-government doctrine and 4 years of lazy, destructive administration. They've spent 30 years destroying Lyndon Johnson's Great Society and FDR's New Deal, cutting taxes on the rich in order to make excuses to gut programs that serve Americans. Infrastructure, border security, debt relief, disaster preparation and recovery: these things all worked once, before the Republicans got their hands on them, twisting them to their own callous purposes.
Lake New Orleans is the end product of the every-man-for-himself selfishness of the American conservative movement which has not solved any of our nations problems. So I have these words for all you Anti-American, Anti-Government, Conservative Assholes:
You want to cut my taxes? Fuck you. My taxes protect American lives.
You want to downsize the government? Fuck you. My government defends the American people.
You want the government off your back? Fuck you. My government watches my back.
Conservatism is dead, washed away by the waters of Hurricane Katrina. And when anyone tries to spread its un-human contemptuous philosophy, or support its vile proponents, I will remember New Orleans and they will be struck down by my righteous retribution.
I Will Remember New Orleans.
While the bold and italics were in internik's original, I underlined the phrase "every-man-for-himself" because it stands in stark contrast to the Philosophy (with a capital 'P'!) for the Democratic partyAmerica articulated so well by Barack Obama the other night:
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now.
-- Barack Obama, 8/28/2008
Make no mistake about it: this is the positive message on which the Democrats will win. This is the articulation of "what it means to be a Democrat" and an answer to the question, "what do Democrats stand for?" that has bothered so many for so long. We can fight for this (not just against McCain!). This is what it comes down to: we're all in this together!
(BTW... I know I'm not the first to point this out here. And hopefully, I won't be the last.)
See, although internik is absolutely right about the need for government, Barack Obama is also just as right, about the responsibility we all share... I am my brother's keeper. And you are mine.
Obama has shown great wisdom and leadership in articulating this. I hope to do my part in making it manifest.
SO...
In preparation for Gustav, and the inevitable political maneuvering that will accompany its coinciding with the RNC, I want to ask... When you watch the evacuations, when you see the pain, when you hear about the needs, when the rebuilding starts, when thousands of people cry out for help, when the failures of conservatism are again exposed, when the conservative "government" -- despite its claims to have learned the lessons of Katrina and 9/11 -- fails to live up to its duties, etc. No matter what happens, even if this particular disaster is mitigated or avoided (God willing)... Please remember, we are responsible. We rise or fall as one nation. We are each other's keepers. I am counting on you, and you can count on me.