So far, it seems as if there are more boos than bravos in the Katrina aftermath, but here is a list of both.
BRAVOS
United States Coast Guard The Coast Guard continues to work around the clock to provide relief to as many people that they can. They have rescued more than 1,000 hurricane victims so far. I never served in the Coast Guard, but I am proud to wear a Coast Guard orange baseball cap bearing the letters "CG."
The Salvation ArmyThe news channels showed Salvation Army vans handing our food and drink the day after Katrina hit Biloxi. As far as I know, no other relief agency responded so quickly.
The individual members of the Army and Air National Guard Despite the poor coordination efforts by the Federal government, each and every member of the National Guard, the constitutional state militia, is doing everything in his or her power to provide relief to his or her neighbors. Of course if 7,500 members of the Louisiana Army Guard who are based in New Orleans, plus thousands from Mississippi were deployed to Iraq, the effort would have been more effective
BOOS
Need I say it?
Resident Bush No national leader continues his vacation and political trips, like strumming on a guitar in Colorado, during a national emergency. This makes
My Pet Goat look like prudent behavior.
The Department of Defense, Every one -- GS-15 or Brigadier General and above If the political leadership refused to do their job, then the general at the military bases should have taken the initiative to provide relief. A conspicuous exception is the Seabee base in Gulfport, MS which began the cleanup effort immediately.
The United States Congress The Army Corps of Engineers were not shy about telling anyone who was interested that the levees needed improvement. Resident Bush cut funding for the levee improvements by 80%. It was incumbent on Congress to recognize the national significance the levees and the need to fully fund the rebuiling effort.
Add your nominations to the list.