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After this week of horror, I looked forward to visiting my family and friends. Surely they would be as incensed as I am about Bush's failure to fund the levee project. Surely, they would be incensed by Nagin's pleas.
They were appalled at what happened in NO, I will give them that. But, being nonpolitical and therefore uneducated on these issues, they were also confused. They didn't really know if Bush is to blame, they hadn't heard about the levee funding withdrawal.
Younger family members have no frame of reference for the historical role of the federal government during disasters--the federal government has always stepped at times like this. Yet, this time, when there is a chance the president is at fault, we are hearing Bush say the feds did their "part." We are hearing Bush's supporters dismiss what has always been a federal role, as failures of local government.
With all of this going on, support for NOLA is not being marshallized, but diffused through confusion.
It follows that if people are confused about who is responsible, they are not angry. They are still trying to sort things out.
It follows that if they are mulling things over, few are motivated to act.
That leaves you and me and DU.
I'm going to DC September 24th. I'm writing LTTE and media. I'm teaching my friends and family. It's up to us DU. What are you doing?
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